Love By A Different Name
by serafina19
Summary: "It was nothing but a chance encounter, a simple set-up that neither of them wanted to attend. But they did, and they had found each other." Sequel to "Time Makes it Harder," takes place in the Mirror-verse.
1. Part 1

**Love by a Different Name **

Chloe looked at the menu, still in disbelief that she was sitting here, waiting for her date to show up. She didn't do blind dates; she didn't even live in Coast City.

Her date wasn't making things easy either, as he was running late, but Hal insisted to Chloe that he would be worth her time. It probably was the only reason that she accepted the date in the first place.

Hal Jordan was one of the few people she could call a friend, even if he knew Chloe under a different name, but such are the circumstances when her real self was supposed to be dead. Despite living in different cities, Chloe made sure to cover the annual air show in Coast City, almost exclusively for the reason to catch up. Hal was a guy who was far from being subtle, but once informed that she would never date him, the guy could take a hint. But that didn't stop him from insisting that instead of being married to a guy, she was married to her job, and even she needed a night off.

So, almost to shut him up, she obliged him and said yes to this crazy idea, even though the only thing she knew about her date was his name. Roy Connor.

But now that she was here, Chloe wanted to give up on the whole thing. Putting her menu down, Chloe checked her cell phone. Sure, she had been late to her fair share of things, and ten minutes wasn't much, but the longer she sat here, the longer she felt guilty. If nothing else, the guy still deserved more than Chloe could give him.

She sighed; about to text Hal to thank him, and then find a decent reason to get out of here, but suddenly a voice came in earshot.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was terrible."

Chloe narrowed her eyes momentarily, as the voice sounded oddly familiar. But she shrugged it off as she tossed her phone into her purse, looking up to tell Roy that apologizing wasn't necessary. But that was harder than she thought as she met his eyes. Her mouth gaped open, but no words came out. There was no way it was him, but did he ever look like him. Blonde hair instead of brown, brown eyes instead of blue, they were small differences, but enough.

Or so she thought. She had to double-check to be sure. "Roy?"

**~0~**

Cora Sutherland.

Oliver hadn't exactly been socially active since beginning his new life in Coast City, a stretch for him, and two years after starting again, his friend essentially pushed him at this girl, saying that she'd change his life. But Oliver was skeptical, because he already dated the girl who changed his life.

But she was gone, for good.

The girl inside the restaurant waiting for him as he sat in his car deserved more than this, more than him. It was a miracle enough that the world hadn't figured him as Oliver Queen, after that, Oliver was content in living in silence, just to survive. Life didn't owe him much more than that.

Maybe it was wrong giving up his company, his parent's legacy, to Tess of all people. But the only person who still knew Oliver was alive kept him updated, and told him if he ever decided to come back, there was a seat open for him at the board. She also apologized, .time. For Chloe.

Tess had long seen the error in her ways, and when she caught on that Lionel and Clark were targeting Oliver next, she planned behind both of their backs, and got Oliver to safety, all while planting the falsehood that Oliver was dead.

From there, it was life in Coast City, in a job Tess had set up for him, working as a pawn for a global conglomerate. It wasn't ideal, but it gave him a chance to enjoy his life, to try to start over, even as someone else.

The anonymity allowed him to go places and not be photographed, to explore the chance of a real relationship, but Oliver couldn't do it. They weren't Chloe.

So why was he here? He knew the reasons for why Hal did this set-up. _If nothing else, you can be friends, like we are, _Hal insisted, but Oliver wasn't so sure. After a chance meeting in a bar one night, Hal Jordan had become one of Oliver's closest friends, and while he trusted the guy, even that had its limits.

He thought about driving away, he was already ten minutes late, but instead, Oliver got out of his car. After all, Cora had grabbed his interest. Apparently her and Hal go way back, and she seemed like an interesting enough person if she could quash Hal's advances in a single night, while establishing a friendship. From what Hal had told Oliver, Cora was a hard-as-nails journalist for the Star City Register, and from Oliver had found out, she wrote the stuff that most wouldn't, a trait he admired in Chloe.

Oliver shook his head, he couldn't do this, the constant comparison. This girl was likely completely different than Chloe, and Hal was right about one thing. Oliver had to move forward, even if he didn't want to. He had tried once with Lois, and that was a lie at best. They were friends, pretending to be more. Her current status with Clark Luthor alone cemented that.

He opened the door to the restaurant, and after a quick conversation with the hostess, she pointed towards a table. Oliver had to admit, Cora was a beautiful woman from what he could see. Wavy blonde hair framed her face as she looked at her phone, her fingers tapping against the surface.

Oliver approached the table carefully, finding the easiest excuse he could think of. "Sorry I'm late. Traffic was terrible."

An awful lie, but Oliver had every intention of getting through this night, no matter the consequences. Then again, that was before she looked up at him.

Was he imagining things? It had been years, five, six, the number didn't matter, but looking at this woman, Oliver couldn't help but see the woman he loved. The woman he lost.

He watched as her eyes' widened, blinking a couple times before asking, "Roy?" A fair question, because right now, even Oliver doubted his name.

* * *

_Sera's Scribbles: A couple things... _

_1) This is still very much a WIP, so bear with me.  
2) I've never written Hal before, I don't know if he's going to physically show up, but please let me know if I'm off the mark at anytime._  
_3) If you're familiar with my stories, you know I use "~0~" to usually show gaps in time. For the first two chapters, it's for changing of viewpoints, and the POV of this isn't exactly something I'm used to. I apologize in advance if you're confused by it._


	2. Part 2

**Part 2 **

_Oliver knocked on the dorm room door, grateful for the lack of a peephole, because she probably wouldn't open the door in the first place if she knew it was him on the other side. After all, he knew the only reason Chloe Sullivan had helped him was because she hated the Luthors more._

_But Oliver figured he owed her as much as showing his gratitude in some way. He wasn't sure how initially, but she was a college student, so Oliver figured he would help out with Chloe's tuition._

_After a minute of waiting, the door finally opened to reveal the girl Oliver had been waiting for._

_"Mr. Queen?" Chloe said through blinking eyes, understandable considering it wasn't likely she was expecting him._

_"The one and only," Oliver replied with a smile, trying to lighten the mood, but it didn't work on Chloe. The woman was tough, he could see it in the way she provided the information and eventually strolled out. "Can I come in?"_

_"No disrespect meant, Mr. Queen, but anything you need from me can be handled from here."_

_She didn't trust him; Oliver could understand that too. Chloe Sullivan's record with billionaires alone made it clear. "Fair enough." He reached inside his coat pocket to hand her the envelope. "Thank you... for everything."_

_It wasn't every day that someone offered to save a person's company, especially for someone like Oliver himself, as his image was less than stellar. But his company meant everything to him, the last good piece of himself._

_"No problem," Chloe replied, taking the envelope and closing the door in his face._

_Oliver stood there, baffled. It wasn't the reaction he was looking for, but at least she took the cheque. Or at least, she took it momentarily. Within a minute, the envelope slid back under the door, a note reading "I don't need your charity," and the cheque, ripped up, still inside the opened envelope._

_At this sight, Oliver couldn't resist a chuckle, but he also wasn't about to give up on Miss Sullivan just yet. If nothing else, she intrigued him._

**~0~**

Getting over his pause, Oliver nodded. "That would be me." He held out his hand, figuring sticking to a hand shake would be best. "Cora, I presume."

"Yes," she replied awkwardly, but she did shake his hand as she started to get out of her seat.

"Please, stay seated." Oliver held a hand up, finding it unnecessary for her to inconvenience herself for his own lateness. She would sit down again, nodding shakily in the process before burrowing her head back in the menu. It surprised him. The way Hal talked about her, shy seemed far from the list of qualities Cora Sutherland possessed.

Smiling, even though he knew she couldn't see it, Oliver tried to make the most of the situation. "Nervous?"

**~0~**

She was now. This was far from her normal territory, but how was she supposed to remain civilized when all she could think of was how much Roy reminded her of Oliver. It sucked that the old cliché was true; that she never forgot him.

But she was stronger than this, so she slammed the menu down, watching him jump as the cutlery clanged together as a consequence. Grinning lightly as she filed the fork back in its place, Chloe found it in herself to admit, "I don't normally do blind dates."

"They're not really that exciting," Roy replied, probably out of reassurance. A guy like him probably had more experience in that category than she did.

Chloe smirked as she took a sip of her water. She could already tell that this was going to be a long night. "And yet you agreed."

"I lost a bet." It probably wasn't what he meant to say, as he rolled his eyes following that statement, but oddly, it made Chloe more comfortable. They could bond over the stupidness of the concept if nothing else.

But that that didn't stop Chloe from feigning hurt over his reply. "Ouch."

Roy flashed a smile, catching her sarcasm, and he seemed ready to cover up his last comment. "But I have to admit... you caught my curiosity."

"Really?" Chloe asked with genuine surprise. She may be a front-page reporter these days, but she usually kept to herself, not really wanting much companionship in her life. Therefore, aside from her work, she didn't see herself as being someone overly exciting. "How so?"

His mouth gaped open once, before he closed it, and then opened again to say, "This is going to sound weird, but have we met before?"

She wanted to say yes, her whole body felt like it was shaking as she watched him across from her, but it was crazy. "Not that I'm aware of."

"You… remind me of someone I used to know."

_Well, that's a dangerous thought._

But oddly enough, it wasn't a comment Chloe was going to let go easily. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No. She was…" After his voice trailed for a minute, Chloe considered telling him that he didn't have to continue, but she held back when Roy quietly scoffed, likely internally rolling his eyes. "You know what, I promised myself I wouldn't do this, so how about we move to the menu?"

"Works for me," she replied, not really wanting to make him uncomfortable. "What's good here?"

Chloe narrowed her eyes as she looked at the menu, waiting for him to respond. "Can't say... I've never been here."

Feeling confused, she peered up again. "So..."

"Hal's choice," he finished. "Apparently, this is where one takes a date."

**~0~**

That comment got her to laugh before looking back at her menu, which Oliver took as a fortunate sign. After all, he didn't know what else to tell her.

They spent a couple minutes pouring over the menu before the waitress came by, getting Oliver's drink order, their food order, before walking away.

Taking a sip of water, Oliver swallowed it quickly as he stared attentively at his date. "Remind me again, how do you know Hal?" He knew the most of the details, but he wanted her side of the story, as Hal had a tendency of fabrication.

Cora leaned against the back of her seat, her gaze wavering for a second before answering. "I interviewed him for a story about a few years ago, and we've kept in touch ever since I told him that he and I were never going to happen." She chuckled quietly before adding, "I guess I left quite an impression."

"He was ready to sing your praises," Oliver replied, agreeing with her point. It wasn't every day Hal was pushing a girl in his direction, and usually after a single no, Hal got that it wasn't going to happen. Cora Sutherland was his exception, maybe because she was Hal's exception too. "It isn't every girl that convinces him to only be friends."

She nodded slightly before a sly smile came across her face. "Actually, he was the one who convinced me that we should be friends."

Oliver's eyes widened, not believing what she had just admitted. "Okay, I have to hear this story."

Cora was more than willing to oblige, as she began the story when Hal "accidentally" ran into her at a bar, a mere three hours after their interview. She shot him down right away, but then Cora decided to let him try to change her mind. Within an hour, Hal paused their conversation and admitted, _I can't believe I'm going to say this... but I think we should just be friends_.

"I don't make friends easily," she concluded, "so I was caught a little off-guard... but it wasn't every day that someone _wanted _to be my friend, so I took that as a compliment, took the chance." She picked up her wine glass, taking another sip. "You probably didn't need to know all that."

"It's fine," Oliver countered. "I'm learning more about you."

Cora smiled, leaning forward in her seat as she placed the glass back down. "Well, it's your turn, because clearly I'm the one with a disadvantage here. He told me nothing about you. So… what's the story of Roy Connor?"

Oliver had that story down pat by now; two years did that to a person, but he stuck to the basics. His earlier drama didn't exact file under normal conversation. "I work in a cubicle, so it's not nearly as exciting as having a column with the Register. I admit, I tried looking up your headshot, but to no avail."

He couldn't believe that Hal refused to show Oliver a picture before, but according to Hal, it spoiled the whole nature of the 'blind' part of the date.

**~0~**

Chloe wasn't exactly sure how the conversation had veered over to her again, but she had to admit that she was flattered that the guy had clearly tried to do his homework on her.

Roy gave her a quick smirk, adding, "Now, I'm trying to figure out why a beautiful woman like yourself is camera shy."

God, even the way he teased her was like Oliver. Knowing her cheeks were heating up, Chloe bowed her head to hide the red hue, replying honestly. "I like my anonymity, especially considering what I write."

But it was more than that. Chloe never fully believed that she was safe anymore, and besides, she had been 'dead' for so long that she didn't want to risk her two worlds colliding. Sure, sitting here now kind of contradicted that, but this was different, or at least, that was what Chloe was trying to convince herself.

"I bet you get your fair share of threats, especially since it's clear that you're not afraid to go after the big boys in charge."

Surprised by his answer, she looked up and noticed the serious expression on Roy's face. That alone told Chloe that Roy had actually read her work. Trying to play everything casually, Chloe shrugged a shoulder. "The way I see it, I'm doing my job if threats come in."

Roy nodded, narrowing his eyes as he continued to look straight at her. "You're not afraid of much, are you?"

Chloe shook her head, almost proud of that fact. "I came from a broken family, and you already know about my stellar social calendar. I've got nothing to lose"

"So why did _you_ agree to come tonight?"

"Really? Using my own line on me?" Chloe stared with furrowed eyebrows, but when Roy's expression hadn't changed, she gave in. "You know how Hal is. He gets an idea, he sticks with it. After everything he's done, I figured… what the hell."

In her mind it was better than losing a bet, however, neither circumstance really fell under them being there under their own free will. Roy was quick to point that out. "Quite a pair we make."

"Hey, at least we're honest, right?" Chloe would much rather have a disastrous first date than risk getting hurt through another pointless ride down relationship road. "Better than making something out of what likely isn't going anywhere."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't live here," she replied, figuring that she was stating the obvious. "You know I write for the Register then you know Star City's home for me." Chloe sighed as she subtly played with the folds of her napkin between her fingers. "Besides, Hal's more of a one-and-done kind of guy ever since the Carol debacle. I kind of assumed that this was more about the aftermath than the actual dinner."

Roy raised his eyebrows, likely not expecting Chloe's admission, not that she could blame him. "Is that what you want it to be?"

"No. _That _makes things complicated. I like sticking to simple conversation, stranger in a bar kind of feel." Besides, Chloe knew there was no way she could actually have a relationship with Roy. Acquaintanceship worked, as he was a part of Hal's life, but nothing more. "That way, there's no expectations, just a simple night out."

"I can work with that," Roy replied, much to Chloe's delight, until he added, "Except there's one flaw with that plan."

"Really?"

He nodded. "I got transferred to the Star City office. I start next month."

Chloe was mentally killing Hal at this point. It wasn't his fault, Hal didn't even know what he did, but he knew what he _wanted _to do tonight. This was even a bigger disaster than Chloe thought. "Is that right?"

Roy's expression changed, likely seeing the frustration in hers, so Chloe dialled it back to sell that she was okay, for now. Eventually, he responded, "Yeah, that disproved the one-and-done theory I had."

Chloe scoffed as she eyed the guy in front of her. "Because you need real help in the relationship category."

"You'd be surprised."

"Yeah right," she responded, scoffing again. "You could probably point at a girl and she'd go out with you."

"Ditto."

"Sorry, don't swing that way," Chloe quipped before sighing lightly. "But I get what you mean. It's a pointless venture. Sorry to dash your hopes, but my heart went a long time ago."

**~0~**

_When Oliver got the restaurant, he was pleasantly surprised to see Chloe Sullivan already at the table. She was likely regretting her choice, but she was here, and that was enough. Sitting down at the seat across from her, Oliver said politely, "I'm glad you were able to meet me tonight."_

_"Well, it was either that or you constantly banging on my door. I need to study at some point, and the flowers you sent to my dorm didn't exactly make that easy either." _

_The sarcasm clearly hadn't dissipated, Oliver figured. Good to know. _

_Chloe ignored the chuckle she heard from him, instead noticing how he was analyzing what she was wearing. "If you're looking for the dress you sent me, I think you'll find that your assistance has a package on her desk on Monday morning."_

_"Yes, it appears I made a mistake on that front," Oliver said, leaning forward in his seat. "No need, you look beautiful regardless."_

_Not wanting to deal with him being overly close to her in that moment, Chloe leaned back in response, crossing her arms. "Your flattery will get you nowhere Mr Queen." This time, Chloe couldn't ignore the laugh that escaped. "What's so funny?"_

_To Oliver, that was easy. He had never put this much effort in not trying to impress a woman, but it still wasn't enough. "I'm not allowed to show gratitude without you calling it charity. I'm not allowed to compliment you without you calling it flattery in a negative tone. Tell me Miss Sullivan... what am I allowed to do?"_

_"Be honest?" Chloe suggested, as she leaned forward again to meet his eyes to show him how serious she was. "I'm not the next notch on your bedpost."_

_"And I don't remember asking you to be that," Oliver immediately replied, seeing her head pop back slightly. "I just want to show my appreciation."_

_Chloe's posture relaxed as a melancholy expression on her face. "You already did."_

_Oliver had been surprised by the change, so he pressed forward, trying to figure out what he actually did right. "How?"_

_It wasn't a shock that he didn't know, after all, she was in a sea of nobodys when it came to his world. It was also why what he did meant so much to her. "Not many people listen to me, Mr. Queen."_

_"Well, they should," Oliver replied honestly, as he would be in a completely different place if it wasn't for Chloe Sullivan. "And please call me Oliver."_

_Chloe appreciated the push of support, but she wouldn't cave that easily. She gave him a sly smile as she reached forward to drink her water. "We'll see."_

_That was a more positive reaction than he was expecting, which is why Oliver knew he had to come clean now. "You're right in a way... I do want something else from you." He expected a negative reaction, provided by the subsequent glare Chloe gave him, but Oliver clarified, "I can't trust many people in this world, and I was wondering if there was any way you would consider being my... friend."_

_It was a stretch at best, but if he offered to be her colleague, or a position in his company, she would likely accuse him of pitying her, so friend was the best name Oliver could think of. Besides, he liked Chloe's spunk, her desire for truth and justice, and she was definitely someone Oliver wanted in his corner._

_But she just scoffed at him at disbelief. Chloe couldn't even believe that he would seriously offer her this. "Oh come on Mr. Queen, Oliver, you don't need my friendship. All you need is to point to any girl, or guy, in this place and they'd be friends with you."_

_However, Oliver knew better, knew it wasn't about quantity anymore when it came to his peers, it was about quality, and along Chloe was a little rough around the edges, she was just that. "I'm willing to bet only half have your smarts, half of that have your drive, and maybe a quarter of what's left would have your motives."_

_Chloe raised an eyebrow at him, still dissecting the offer, the words he was saying. "You are aware that the only reason I helped you was because I hate the Luthors, right?"_

_Oliver just shrugged, flashing a genuine smile, which mattered because Chloe wouldn't have bought any kind of fake sincerity. "It's something we have in common... Chloe." _

_He took a risk calling her just by her first name, but Chloe decided to let it slide. Hearing him say her name like that didn't make her skin crawl, which had to mean something good, right? "Just one question...why?" Sure, he didn't have to point at anyone, but he could have anyone to be his friend, and for some inexplicable reason, Oliver wanted to be hers._

_Oliver nodded, recognizing the validity of the question. "You... bring something good out of me. You make me want to be a better person." He sighed lightly, but he reached across the table, risking touching his fingers to hers, trying to convince Chloe that he was indeed serious. "I know it sounds selfish, but if you let me, I'll make sure to return the favour without writing a single cheque."_

_Her eyes staring down at her hand, Chloe didn't move it. She blinked a couple times, admitting softly, "I want to believe you."_

_"Chloe," Oliver said as he removed his hand, "I know your experiences with billionaires are... bad... at best. I know how clichéd this sounds, but all I'm asking for is a chance. If I screw up, then I'll understand."_

_This may have been the last thing she wanted to happen when Chloe showed up tonight, but that didn't stop her from considering it. In fact, Chloe started to remember everything Oliver had done since she had helped him: the perseverance in his efforts to get her here, the sincerity in his voice both then and now, as well as the potential pros and cons of accepting his offer. "Friends?"_

_Oliver nodded. "Friends."_

_She took a deep breath before holding her hand out to him. "You've got one chance, Queen." Chloe shook her hand, and it didn't take long for Oliver to get the message. He shook it out of appreciation, so Chloe made sure to add, "Don't blow it."_

**~0~**

Before he could stop himself, Oliver asked, "Who was he?" Realizing how stupid that question was for a first date, he tried to cover himself. "Sorry, that's none of my business."

"No, this is probably Hal's idea of us moving on." Oliver could tell that Cora was uncomfortable, but she still pressed on. "He… was…" Her voice trailed again, the past tense probably hurting her to say. "He was the only person who got to me."

Oliver could see the smile on her face, as Cora was likely remembering the time they had spent together. "He used to tell me that we were made for each other because the world would never understand us, but we would have each other, and that was enough."

_"Chloe… I love you. I don't need the world to understand me, to understand us. I just need you." _

Those were the exact words Oliver used seconds before their first time. Chloe said that they made no sense together, and the press would have a field day. But Oliver didn't care, and he fought her excuses tooth-and-nail, eventually coming out on top.

Once he brought himself back to reality, Oliver caught the odd expression on Cora's face. "Roy? You okay?"

Oliver nodded, trying to conceal his reaction for a drink of the wine in front of him. "That's... a beautiful thing to say."

**~0~**

It was, it was one of the most beautiful things Oliver had ever told her, probably why she gave in that night. Finding her smile again, Chloe replied, "It's the way he was... but he's gone now."

"When?"

Chloe sighed, as this part was tough to admit. "Two years, officially. I had to leave him before that because of... complicated reasons."

Realizing this was far from what she should be telling him, Chloe shook her head. "Wow... I can't believe I just said all that." Seeing Roy deep in thought, she took this moment to slip out of her chair quietly, laying down enough money to cover her half. Who was she kidding? This was clearly a mistake, and if Chloe let herself drudge anymore, it was only going to get worse.

**~0~**

For the last couple of minutes, Oliver had been thinking about everything Cora had mentioned to him. Two years since losing him, but complicated reasons took them apart prior to that, it all had to be a coincidence. Right?

He had seen Cora get up, figuring that she had to freshen up, but when Oliver brought his head back up, he noticed the bills on the table.

_Great._

This wasn't the way that Oliver wanted to end the night, so he frantically put down what was probably way too much money on his end, rushing out the doors to catch up with her. Fortunately, she hadn't gotten far. "Cora... wait."

Refusing to turn around to face him, Cora kept walking away. Oliver had no idea if she even knew where she was walking, but after about half a block, she finally addressed him. "Roy, please, I should really go."

"I was really hoping to talk some more."

A moment's pause, Cora finally stopped walking, turning around to ask, "Why?"

_"Just one question...why?"_

It was the same tone, everything about this woman, lined up to Chloe's mannerisms. But like then, she had a questioning look in her eyes, the similarity that Oliver had to shake out before replying, "Because... I know how you feel, and frankly, I think you're the only one that I could say this to."

This was twisted, thinking that talking to a woman who looked like her would make him feel better, but for some reason, Cora had felt comfortable enough to divulge her romantic history with him. Maybe this really was the way to move on. But in order for that to happen, Oliver had to take his turn, be honest about everything. And of course, she had to agree.

He could see her thinking about it, eventually nodding. "Okay."

**~0~**

_"Mr. Queen will see you now."_

_"Thank you," Chloe seethed through her teeth as she walked by his receptionist. Who did he think he was? Did he have to insist on driving her up the wall?_

_Opening the door, Chloe watched as he tried to get out of his seat, but she stopped him. "Don't bother, I'll be quick. I'm only here because you invited me, and I figured it was the only way to get you to stop with the gifts."_

_Oliver got up anyway, almost wanting to laugh as he leaned against his desk, but thought better of it. "Okay."_

_"Okay?" Chloe repeated, trying to understand how it was that easy to convince him to back off. "That's it?"_

_Pushing the chair fully back, Oliver walked around to the front of the desk. He didn't want to appear superior in anyway, and not just because he was grateful to her. He also greatly respected the small glance he had seen of Chloe Sullivan, and he wanted to make this as casual as possible. "I just wanted you to accept some form of gratitude for what you did for me."_

_Chloe shook her head, confused at his words. "I did."_

_That comment got Oliver to raise an eyebrow. "By ripping up a cheque and giving away flowers?"_

_"I said no problem," Chloe clarified, but it was that moment that she realized a softer tone would likely serve a better purpose. "Look, what you're trying to do is nice, but I don't need you helping me. I survive just fine on my own."_

_Chloe really believed what she was saying, but Oliver could see the loneliness in her eyes, a feeling Oliver knew all too well. He knew that this was going to be a long-shot, but he didn't want to say goodbye to Chloe Sullivan for good just yet._

_"How about dinner then?" He could see Chloe opening her mouth to protest, but Oliver held up a finger to stop her from interrupting. "I'm not asking you out, I'm just offering you a free dinner. Word is that students never say no to free food."_

_Chloe sighed as she stared at him, wanting to say no, but willing to at least hear the idea out. "If I say yes, will you leave me alone afterwards?"_

_"The chances are significantly higher," Oliver replied, purposely avoiding a concrete answer to that question._

_It wasn't what Chloe wanted to hear, but she knew she wasn't getting anything more from him. As much as Chloe hated to admit it, she had nothing to lose, and potentially everything to gain. "Okay. One dinner."_


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

Waiting as Roy caught up with her, Chloe felt herself swallow hard. This wasn't going to be easy, but she knew now was her time to listen. "I am really sorry about that," she whispered, her head turning back towards the restaurant, which seemed miles away already. "I should have... said something, instead of leaving like that."

"Don't worry about it," he immediately replied, shoving his hands in his pant pockets as the continued down the street, eyes straight ahead. Chloe noticed the smallest of grins on his face before he added, "He was a lucky guy."

Chloe narrowed her eyes upon hearing that comment. "How can you say that?" He had just met her after all, how could he know that Ch..._Cora_deserved anything? Even as Chloe, she didn't even want to get to know Oliver, or be his friend, his lover. But he was more stubborn than she was, and he kept coming, wearing her defences down, and allowed Chloe to love someone.

All Roy did though was shrug, making it seem like Chloe shouldn't take much stock in his opinion. "I don't know, gut feeling I guess."

It was then that Roy looked at Chloe, and the way he closed his eyes before averting his sight again showed the pain that he hid well behind the exterior confidence. A couple steps more, Chloe finally gained the courage to ask. "Did you lose her... like I did?"

**~0~**

Oliver nodded, wanting to do more, but he held back, knowing that his story made Cora's loss seem tolerable. He brought up his hand and started counting the years again, but the truth was that, "After awhile, you stop counting the days that pass. By now, you'd think I'd move on, but... they weren't her."

**~0~**

_It wasn't fair. Oliver had already lost his parents, wasn't that enough? Couldn't that be enough for the world? Did they have to take Chloe away from him too? She was just twenty-one years old, just trying to make a name for herself. She deserved more than this._

_"You really did care about her."_

_Oliver turned his head, surprised to hear anyone coming to the funeral he had arranged for Chloe. The woman had tears in her eyes, but her long, dark hair masked most of her expression as it blew in the wind. _

_By the time she got close enough for Oliver to see her clearly; she held her hand out to him. "I'm Lois, her cousin." _

_After shaking Oliver's hand, Lois stared ahead in disbelief, partly because her cousin was dead, partially because the last person the world would ever expect planned her funeral. Her family did nothing, but here Oliver Queen was, standing over her grave, holding his tears back. Finally finding her words again, Lois said softly. "You didn't have to do all this."_

_Oliver disagreed. He could have done so much more. Sure, Chloe got into enough trouble without Oliver in her life, but there was a reason she was dead and not him. They wanted to get to him, that much was clear. The sad thing was that they succeeded._

_But he always figured he'd be alone today. When Chloe did talk about her family, which wasn't much, Lois wasn't a name that came up. "When was the last time you spoke with Chloe?"_

_Lois had expected such a question, as they used to be like sisters, but as the relationship between Chloe and her father started straining, Chloe began to keep more to herself. "When I first saw photos of you two, I had to reach out. It never made sense to me how you two could have ever crossed paths and have a mutual relationship." _

_It was a valid point, but Oliver didn't give up on her. Not ever. Which is why it was so hard to face her grave now. "She saved my company. In a way, she saved me." Chloe made him realize the things he could do with his company, his money. How he could make the world a better place, how he could strive to be more than a picture in the paper. She saw potential in a man most had written off._

_"And you loved her," Lois replied, as the look in Oliver's eyes pretty much sold that._

_But Oliver was quick to correct Lois, no matter how clichéd it sounded. "We loved each other."_

**~0~**

Chloe had noticed the way he had begun counting, how he threw his hand back in his pocket out of frustration. Seeing the sadness in his eyes, she was reminded of his earlier comment. "Do I remind you of her... is that why you asked if we met before?"

Again, all Roy gave her initially was a nod. "You do look a lot like her actually," were the only words he spoke as more steps hit the pavement.

But as they crossed another street, Chloe was starting to wonder why he wanted to talk if he insisted on being so quiet. So while her next question seemed a little out of line, Chloe wanted to know what he was willing to share with her. "What was her name?"

His mouth twitched to a small grin before her spoke, "Chloe."

Chloe blinked. Had she just heard that right? Had she just heard her name? "Pardon?"

But Roy hadn't heard her... he just kept walking ahead. "I still remember hearing about the explosion, taking her from me." Chloe felt her feet stop moving, but her ears were still open to hear Roy... if that was his name, add, "I was supposed to be there for her, but I let her down."

That couldn't be right, it couldn't be right. But his face, her name, the explosion, everything pointed to her circumstances, to her Oliver. "She wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

**~0~**

Oliver stopped in his tracks, realizing how far her voice had seemed. Turning his head over his shoulder, he noticed Cora was several steps back, the sincerity in her eyes matching the tone in her voice. But he couldn't help but scoff. While hindsight didn't help anyone, and Chloe would think that way, in the end, it was the way Oliver was. Turning his head back, he finally replied, "Doesn't stop me from doing it anyway."

**~0~**

"No, it doesn't." It wasn't the reaction she had hoped to see, but Chloe couldn't blame him. She blamed herself when she saw Oliver suffering, for his death, but the more Roy spoke, the less likely it seemed that Oliver was actually dead. It made no sense, because they had searched everywhere, and found nothing. So why did it seem so clear that he was right in front of her now?

She noticed how he looked up to the sky as he asked, "At some point, we should let go, shouldn't we?"

Every fibre of Chloe's being wanted to say yes, but her breathing was shallow at best and words couldn't come out. It didn't help when he turned again, fully this time, and started walking towards her.

For a second, he likely noticed her odd demeanour, but Chloe noticed him push it aside, surprised by the hand he held out to her.

**~0~**

Oliver couldn't do this anymore, as with every word he said, he had a further understanding of why she had left the restaurant. "You were right... it's harder facing this than I thought." He looked down at Cora, who just stared at his hand, and after a minute, Oliver figured it was her nerves coming back, so he decided to make it easier on her. "Well, goodnight Cora."

But he didn't get far, as it was his farewell that caught her attention. "Wait," she said, grabbing his wrist with her hand, holding onto Oliver as tight as she could. "Just one more question."

Not understanding what she was doing, Oliver nonetheless turned around, willing enough to hear her out.

**~0~**

Grateful he had stopped, Chloe gained the courage to look him in the eyes and ask, "How has no one else noticed you?" She knew it was blunt, and this whole thing felt too good to be true, but there was no other explanation. Sure, Oliver Queen was supposed to be dead, but then again, so was she. "It's a dye job and colour contacts. Other than that, you're still... you."

Even now, she could see that Oliver still cared for her, well, for Chloe. That even though years had passed, he loved her just as much as the night he admitted everything to her.

**~0~**

_Seeing Chloe step outside the elevator, Oliver got off the couch, straightening out his suit quickly before he met her eyes. "Happy birthday."_

_She gave him a quick smile before looking around the penthouse. Something was different. Sure, this wasn't the first time that Oliver had cooked for her, but Chloe noticed how he was in a suit, that there were candles lit, and even a smooth jazz song playing in the background. "Oliver... what is this?"_

_"Dinner," Oliver replied, wanting to ease into what he was going to admit to her._

_But Chloe wasn't wanting to wait to figure that information out. "It's more, isn't it?"_

_"Would that be such a bad thing?"_

_Chloe felt herself bit her bottom lip upon hearing his words. "Oliver, you said... you just wanted to be my friend."_

_He knew that he was breaking the initial deal he had made that night, but he figured it was better to be honest and admit his feelings, instead of hiding them, therefore lying to her and himself. "I meant it then."_

_Taking a step backwards, Chloe raised an eyebrow, scared of how he would reply to her next question. "And now?"_

_"Now... now I'm in love with you."_

_Chloe had been expecting that, but it wasn't enough. She immediately felt chills throughout her entire body and she knew she couldn't stay. "I have to go."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because love," Chloe started as she looped her fingers around part of the elevator gate, "love disappears." Not wanting to look at him, Chloe continued to look at the gate as she admitted, "everyone who has claimed to love me has left."_

_"That's not going to happen with me, with us. That's why I moved here." Chloe heard him say, along with the sound of him stepping towards her. "Star City didn't feel like home anymore because no one cared about me there like you care about me here." Now standing beside her, Oliver slowly removed her fingers from the gate, taking her hand in his as he turned Chloe towards him. "You _do_ care about me."_

_"Of course," Chloe practically sputtered, taking a deep breath to re-find her confidence. "But come on Oliver, we have plenty of enemies who are just waiting to find a weak spot."_

_"Which they know about already if they read the papers," Oliver countered, knowing that they had been friends long enough for any of his enemies to know how important Chloe was to him. If nothing else, the cross-country move would be sufficient proof, if Oliver's two-year single status wasn't. _

_But Chloe wasn't budging, as to her, Oliver had pointed out another problem. "Because the tabloids report every move."_

_"Which you're uncomfortable with."_

_"That's normal isn't it?" Chloe scoffed as she peered up at him. "They're going to have a field day." Sure, Chloe may be a journalist, but she wasn't a huge fan of being the subject of gossip fodder. Besides, it wasn't fair to Oliver's character in the papers either. "You being single forces them to focus on your business sense, instead of spending all this time saying how we're from two different worlds, and how—"_

_Oliver had been around Chloe long enough to know her habits. How she rambled when she was nervous, how scared she was of letting people in, and how she let words get in the way of her acting. So he did it for her, wrapping his arms around her back, pulling her even closer, noticing how her words just stopped._

_Then he did what he had to do; he kissed her with everything he had. She initially fought, trying to get away, but eventually, she gave in, returning the kiss just as hungrily. Her hands found their way around his back, as she fisted his shirt in her hands. _

_When Oliver did finally let go, he leaned his forehead against hers. "Chloe… I love you. I don't need the world to understand me, to understand us. I just need you."_

_Suddenly feeling the chills being replaced by a heat Chloe couldn't explain, she leaned closer, grateful for his proximity now. True, she was scared, but just like their first dinner, Oliver was genuine in his intentions, and based on how she had kissed him back, it wasn't like Chloe wasn't completely unopposed to the idea. "Okay."_

_Oliver had to admit, he wasn't expected her to cave, so he asked, "Okay… what?"_

_"I'm in," Chloe whispered, before leaning up her tiptoes to kiss him this time. Within seconds, she felt Oliver lift her from the floor, causing a small squeal to leave her lips, but also a smile as she wrapped her legs around his back. _

_Dinner, it seemed, would have to wait… and both Chloe and Oliver seemed to be fine with that._

**~0~**

Oliver had to admit, he was having a hard time believing what he had just heard. All this time, no one had come close to discovering his true identity, but from the looks of things, not only had Cora narrowed it down, but she also was calling him out on it. Oliver decided to play this cool, hoping he was just overreacting. Or at least, that's what he thought before she added, "I mean you were, you _are_a public figure, and nothing? Ever?"

He wanted to interject something now, maybe even head the conversation in another direction, but Cora seemed to beat him to it. "What were the first kind of flowers you sent to Chloe?"

That answer was easy, although Oliver wasn't entirely sure why she was asking. "Gerbers." He remembered standing at the flower shop, in person for a change, looking at flowers, how they were all wrong. "Roses were the wrong message at the time, and I found out that her favourite were –"

"Tulips," Cora finished, in a voice barely louder than a whisper. In fact, Oliver had barely heard it.

"Yeah," Oliver said, actually dragging the single word out. "It reminded her of her mom's garden... before she left."

"At the age of seven." He watched her smile, her eyes staring at the ground in front of her. She chuckled lightly, furthering confessing, "I couldn't even touch the floor in my dorm room because there were so many."

Oliver caught the first-person slip, except based on what was said, she wanted him to hear it. This whole walk, Oliver had been honest, but she wanted something from him. The personal question, was almost a way for her to be sure. Just like she wanted him to know what she thought, maybe she wanted Oliver to know who she really was.

And that's when it hit him.

He looked down at her, at how she was biting her bottom lip, eyes on the brink of tears, but he could tell, she was happy. "You're... you're alive."

Oliver wasn't sure how this was possible, but he still took a step closer to her, placing his hand on her shoulder, watching as she didn't fight the contact. Sliding up her shoulder, along her neck, Oliver tilted her head up so he could see all of her face, the familiarity of her green eyes. Still in disbelief, Oliver whispered, "Chloe?"


	4. Part 4

**Part 4**

For the first few seconds, Chloe couldn't do anything. She wanted to reply, but words were failing her, and hearing him say her name again, this time addressing _her_, it was too much. She thought she had lost Oliver, but here he was, right in front of her. It seemed crazy, how this night had happened. It was nothing but a chance encounter, a simple set-up that neither of them wanted to attend. But they did, and they had found each other.

So she finally allowed her head to nod slightly and whisper to him, "Ollie."

Oliver stood there, his smile widening slowly. There was still a part of him that thought that it wasn't true, that it wasn't her, but her own hesitation, the way this night played out, there was no other explanation, and there was no way in hell Oliver was running from it anymore.

"It's really you." Pulling her tight against him, he leaned his forehead against the side of her head, breathing her in, as he discovered her scent hadn't changed much. Still the light smell of vanilla exuded from her skin as she wrapped her arms around him, completing the embrace. "All this time... you were in Star City?"

"It's a long story," Chloe said, her face almost pressed against his chest, "As I'm sure yours is too." Backing away slowly, her eyes peered up to meet his. "And I promise to explain everything I can, I owe you that."

Gesturing his head backwards, Oliver said, "My apartment is ten minutes from here."

Grateful that he was willing to listen to her, Chloe's eyes lit up. "Lead the way."

Oliver grabbed her hand again, gladly obliging in this case. They walked their way there, despite his car sitting in the restaurant parking lot, but he could pick it up later. Some things were more important right now. Besides, the walk flew by as he opened the main door to his building, quickly making their way towards the elevator.

It opened right away, so he led Chloe inside, his heart about to burst. But as Oliver looked over to Chloe, he could see how nervous she was, how she was trying to figure out what words she was going to say.

She looked up as the door closed, and knowing she couldn't divulge much in an elevator, Chloe whispered, "I'm sorry."

Oliver smirked slightly at her words, knowing that she meant them, but it wasn't completely her fault. They had so much to figure out, but that could wait until morning. Walking in front of her, Oliver reached out to pull Chloe tight against him, descending his lips on hers hard, relishing the feeling of kissing her again.

Chloe reached up, grasping his neck with her hand and pulling him closer to her. If she didn't know any better, she would say that he had gotten even taller in their time apart. Then again, she hadn't kissed anyone in a long time. She had opened her heart once and seeing Oliver's funeral was enough to know she never would again.

A couple one night stands, sure, but that was just sex, emptiness she felt necessary after losing Oliver for what she thought was for good. After awhile, not even that satisfied her loss, so in a way, Hal was right, she was married to her job. The threats were a part of that, but that pushed her on. To continue doing the only thing that brought her satisfaction in her life, no matter how much it pushed Chloe back into her shell when confronted with the real world.

That wasn't to say she couldn't handle it, quite the opposite, but she didn't let many people in. Hal had been one of her few exceptions, and Chloe could never really explain why, until now. The one person Chloe had brought into her life under her new name would lead her back to the one person Chloe could never forget. The person she loved more than anything.

The elevator ride was short, as Oliver guided her towards his apartment, their hands never leaving each other. This wasn't the place he wanted to take her to, the modest apartment he had learned to call home, but the penthouse where they had shared their first time was no longer an option.

He blindly searched for his keys, leaving her lips just for a second to unlock his apartment door. But after the door opened, Oliver took out the key, throwing it behind him as he brought Chloe inside.

"I have to be honest; I'm probably not going to call you Cora."

His jacket already disposed of, Chloe began working on the buttons of Oliver's shirt, running it down his arms before tossing it aside. "Well, the chances for me calling you Roy are about just as high." Trailing his fingers along the well-defined muscles on his chest, Chloe suddenly pushed Oliver towards the wall.

He was caught a little off-guard, but Chloe followed it up by pressing herself up against him. There was a moment's pause when their gaze met, but Oliver was quick to break it, kissing her lips, and then trailing his lips down the side of her neck, as Chloe arched her body to bring herself closer to him. It didn't even take much, and her legs already felt like jelly, but his strong arms had already found a way around her back, holding her upright.

But that wasn't the only feeling she had, as Chloe could feel that her panties were already soaked through, and her whole body felt like it was on fire. All those days researching, hoping just to see his smile, it took all the hope out of her life for years. Now, now it felt like they hadn't lost a beat, and as he continued to work his lips down her neck, Chloe felt a tear slip from her eye. Her whole life, it felt like the world was playing a cruel joke on her, except for this, except for him.

So she pushed her hips harder against Oliver, not wanting to let go, and based on the groan she heard from him, not to mention the reaction from his cock against her stomach, it was mutual. Manoeuvring her hands to the front of his pants, Chloe made quick work of his belt, feeling the cool clasp hit her baby toe as she dropped it to the floor. But she didn't have a chance to express the slight discomfort it caused her because Oliver took her lips again, turning their bodies so Chloe's back slammed against the wall.

His tongue worked against her lips, begging for Chloe to let him in, and she wasn't one to deny him, so while his tongue worked her mouth, eliciting a moan from Chloe, his fingers worked up to the shoulder strap of her dress.

Oliver felt her breath hitch as a single finger worked from the front to the back of her dress. Releasing each strap, he found the zipper to Chloe's dress, and made quick work of it, pushing it the entire way down. He also undid the clasp of her bra as he moved his fingertips up the smooth skin of her naked back, stopping only when his hands cradled the back of her head.

This whole thing, it still didn't feel real, as Oliver was almost convinced that he'd wake up in the morning, and this would all be a dream. So many days had passed, so many people had passed by, yet out of the millions, she had found her way back to him, and in the end, it was Chloe who reached out, insisting that Oliver stay. Back on the street, when she was still Cora, he was going to wish her goodnight and leave, but she grabbed his arm and held him there. After that, Oliver had no intention of ever letting her go again.

"God I missed you," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he breathed in.

Following suit, Chloe soon reached up to cup his cheek in her small hand. If he only knew. If he only knew that she was so close to him for so many years, that she had seen him but couldn't reach out and touch him. "I never..." she started, but words were failing her as her emotions were getting the best of her. Tilting her head up slightly, Chloe felt her mouth gape open as they both just stood there in each other's arms. "I've dreamed about this, but I never... I never thought I'd have this again."

"Chloe," Oliver replied, placing a single finger under her chin, tilting it up a little further so that their eyes met. "I am going to be here in the morning. And every possible morning after that."

Chloe teased, "I hope not," noticing the immediate expression of disappointment on his face, which only caused her smirk to grow. "I was rather fond of the idea of you coming back to Star City."

Oliver smiled before bringing his mouth down to hers, his hands working down her curves to begin guiding her to his bedroom. After so long apart, he wanted this to be more than a make-out session against a wall in the entryway.

After all, Chloe wasn't too sure how often her feet were actually touching the floor, as her toes seemed to be the only thing making contact as she backed up. But she was able to keep her balance until the back of her knees came in contact with the bed, causing Chloe to finally open her eyes against as his lips left hers. Yet she quickly found herself frowning as she looked down at Oliver's legs. "I'm sorry," she said, reaching forward to pop open the button of his pants, "but these were supposed to be off... a long time ago."

Holding his hands up, Oliver eyes darkened as he leaned his head further towards her. "I'm not going to stop you."

Smirking back, Chloe's fingers curled on the waist, pulling them down easily before she moved her hands towards the top of Oliver's boxers. But suddenly, she noticed Oliver contradicting his earlier words, as his hands covered hers, so Chloe gave him a curious look.

"I'm not the only one with too many clothes right now," he rationalized as he moved her hands up his body, away from the remaining piece of clothing on his body.

"Not my fault you stopped," Chloe replied, easily shrugging the multiple straps off her shoulders, feeling the material fall to their feet, leaving her half-naked in front of Oliver. She cocked an eyebrow. "Better?"

"C'mere." Oliver leaned down to kiss her, pushing them both onto the bed. Releasing her lips, he had every intention of pleasuring every part of her body, kissing down from her lips again, down to her collarbone, and eventually her bare breasts.

Her breath hitched as he cupped one of her breasts in each hand, squeezing them gently in his grasp. All Chloe could think was that this feeling wasn't possible. That something so simple could make her feel like this. Then again, with Oliver, it never took much, as he always seemed to know which buttons to press.

Initially, Oliver took his time, pleasuring her in ways Chloe couldn't even describe, but soon his hands moved their way down her torso, settling just above her panties, the only clothing Chloe still had on.

"I'm still on the pill," Chloe admitted quickly. It seemed like a weird concept, but Chloe figured that it never hurt to be careful. And even though she knew it wasn't the best of timing, Chloe also knew this would interrupt the moment less than Oliver fishing for a condom.

Oliver smiled at her words, knowing her intentions, so he kept up his progress down underneath the material. His fingertips soon found their way under her clit, which caused Chloe to cry out as his skin subtly met hers. He thought about working his fingers inside of her, but it didn't feel right. It sounded cheesy in his head, but he wanted to give her everything, and he wasn't sure how good her stamina was anymore, not to mention _his_own stamina. Being out of the game for a while did that to a guy.

So instead, he slid the material down her body, setting them aside before coming back up to kiss her lips quickly. Chloe caught on, reaching up to begin to take off his boxers, and Oliver took over when it was beyond her reach, not even bothering to look as the material left his hands.

And now it was just them.

The surroundings just faded into the background, as did the years spent apart because they no longer mattered. Their eyes were firmly on each other, and they were content in their situation.

"I don't think I've said this yet, but... I never stopped loving you."

Chloe continued to stare up at Oliver, even after he broke the silence. All his words did was allow her smile to widen. "I know," she replied, more than aware of the numerous acts Oliver did, all because he loved her. "I love you too."

Four simple words, all one syllable each, but that carried more weight in Oliver's mind than anything else she would tell him in the morning. It would be complicated, sure, but they would pull through their unique situation and begin again... together.

So with that admission out of the way, Oliver slid into her slowly, but soon, he noticed how Chloe had maneuvred her legs around him, wanting him to go deeper, so he obliged and even picked up his pace.

She was desperate for him, as pathetic as that sounded. It had been so long since anyone had made her feel alive in this way, wanted in the way Oliver loved her. So despite the slight agony she felt as Oliver thrusted harder, she moved her hips accordingly to accommodate him, wanting the pain, as it beat the alternative.

But Oliver soon caught on, as he felt the tightness from the beginning, but the way Chloe made him feel as he thrusted inside and outside of her blinded him to her reaction for a while. But he caught her reaction as he worked her and soon he felt himself slow down.

"Ollie..." she whined, but he just shook his head at her.

"It's been a while for me too," he insisted, "And I want this to last."

Nodding, Chloe arched her back slightly, as she felt her orgasm come closer by the second. Even with the slower pace, it still blew her mind how good Oliver felt inside of her. Each movement he made, every response she gave him, seemed to bring something out of them, and it wasn't long before Chloe hit her climax, her head tilting back. It strained her neck a little, but she didn't care, nor did she worry about the volume of her voice as she spoke Oliver's name.

That was almost enough for Oliver to follow suit, but he slowed even more, taking pleasure in the euphoric reactions and expressions in Chloe's face as she came for him. Soon enough, he felt him spill into her, then bringing himself down to Chloe, kissing her just barely.

In fact, he was pretty sure only their bottom lips grazed each other, but it was still enough for Chloe to whimper, to want more. "Aim's gotten worse," she teased, despite her laboured breathing.

Oliver would just chuckle at her as he pulled himself out of Chloe, and then moved so that his side made contact in the mattress while still facing her. Hands reaching out to cup her cheeks, Oliver kissed her hard, more than willing to prove that particular comment wrong. Pulling away confidently, he quipped, "Sure about that?"

But Chloe couldn't see his knowing smirk as her eyes were still closed, her breathing shallow as a result. Fluttering her eyes open, she smiled back at Oliver. There were multiple things she could say in response, but she settled on, "What do you think?"

Shuffling towards him, she buried her head against his chest and soon felt Oliver wrap his arms around her body. There were no more words needed after that, just their relaxed, synchronized breathing as the minutes ticked by, the night slowly coming to a close.

* * *

_Sera's Scribbles: My original plan...well, this was supposed to be it. But my muse got carried away, and my head canon kind of took over. I apologize in advance. I also apologize for the delay, but those who have followed me for awhile know... this stuff... scares the crap out of me. So I'm hoping it turned out. _


	5. Part 5

**Part 5**

The sun shone through the window, marking the sign of a new day, but as Oliver opened his eyes, he was reminded of the night that was. The blonde hair in front of him was proof enough, but there was the bonus of her happy expression as Chloe continued to sleep next to him.

It was still a rarity for her, sleep that is. Oliver could see the circles under her eyes and based on the work he had researched, it wasn't too hard to see why. She was completely run down, the whole reason Hal had set them up in the first place.

He told Oliver that the air show was the equivalent to her vacation, the few days off that she took, and it seemed the constant work was getting it to her. He cringed at how she must have been living, the many days of being so close to Oliver, yet staying behind the shadows. Just like Oliver had to after Tess had taken him off the streets.

**~0~**

_"How did you know?" Oliver said, watching the screen as the news reported his death._

_"Easy," Tess replied from behind him. "You did reveal his weakness." She had to admit that she didn't see that one coming, but unfortunately, Oliver underestimated the consequences of his decision. _

_Then again, that was something the blonde billionaire knew all too well. When he met Clark Kent, when he said that they could save the world together, for a second... Oliver believed it. But Clark Luthor was a different man, and it didn't seem like the other Clark's prophecy would ever happen. _

_Luthors were what they were. Even if Tess was the bastard daughter, Oliver always figured that included her, especially after what she did to start this whole mess. But she did save his life. "Why? Why do this?"_

_Tess looked back at Oliver, the answer so seemingly clear to her, but to him... well... she wouldn't blame Oliver if he didn't believe her. "Chloe," she spoke softly. Tess had done plenty wrong, but no one deserved to die. When she disclosed the blonde reporter's relationship status with Oliver to Lionel, Tess didn't think he'd make Clark kill her._

_After that, Tess tried everything to change her ways, even literally sleeping with the enemy, trying to pull Clark away from their father's ways. But he wouldn't listen to her, no one did. So when Oliver announced the effects of green kryptonite, Tess acted fast, and did everything she could to convince Oliver to take a chance in believe in her. To Tess' surprise, it worked, and here they now sat, watching the aftermath._

_The deal was, if she was right, Tess would overlook Queen Industries until it was fit for Oliver to come back and then Tess would be free of all this. She hated being a Luthor, the power and politics that came with it. All she wanted to do was save the world, and she couldn't do that under her father's name._

It was a tough deal for Oliver to make, but it seemed to be the right decision to accept. No one else had a clue about what they had done, and he noticed that Tess covered her bases. The only other person she involved was probably the only person who would keep quiet on this matter if he did find out the whole truth. He was someone that Oliver trusted, one of his few confidantes since Chloe's death.

_Even then, it wasn't much, just creating fake papers with no names on them, but Tess filled in the blanks. She never disclosed to her partner who the papers were for, and quickly formulated a fake story to cover her tracks. There was a part of Oliver that wanted to tell him the truth, but Tess convinced Oliver otherwise. _

_He was resourceful, so Tess made numerous leads that corroborated her story, and soon, he was off the trail. But Tess ensured a reward for his efforts, a decision that Oliver fully supported. A promotion, a healthy one at that, worked out well for both sides._

_Yet even though the plan worked, Tess felt a pang in her chest as she stared at Oliver. It wasn't enough. Chloe was still dead, she could see the pain in Oliver's eyes as she said her name, and it killed her. "I'm so sorry Oliver." Shaking her head, Tess got up from the couch. "I know this doesn't bring her back or fix anything I've done to you. But I assure you, she's my biggest mistake." _

**~0~**

It was something that he and Tess had in common, but it seemed that there was more to the picture than either of them realized. Combing his fingers through her hair, Oliver smiled, taking in the ways her mouth twitched more into a grin as he touched her. Eventually, he noticed Chloe shifting in bed slightly and soon enough, she was opening her eyes. "Good morning."

"Best morning I've had in a while," he replied, his fingers still lingering in her hair. But his smile faded as he continued to stare at her. Last night, Oliver could let it rest, now was a different matter. "Chloe..."

"We really need to talk don't we?" She had been expecting as much, because she did say that she owed him an explanation.

"How about you start by telling me the 'complicated reason' that separated us?"

"Being enemy number one on Ultraman's kill list?" Chloe joked, knowing that Oliver knew that much, but it was something both their deaths had in common. Even a Luthor saviour of sorts, but that was something Oliver didn't know. "Lex... saved my life."

His eyes understandably widened at her admission. "You mean I actually owe a Luthor for something?"

"Says the man who has Tess running his company."

Oliver chuckled lightly; he should have known that Chloe would piece together everything so easily. "She's only half," he rationalized, implying to how Tess' last name had been formally changed to Jenkins, after her mother. "Besides, even you know she wasn't Lionel's biggest fan."

"That wasn't a no." Nor was it that hard to figure out. Except Chloe couldn't figure out why Oliver would trust Tess with something like Queen Industries, but he also trusted her with his life, so maybe Tess had changed since Chloe had last seen her.

More than aware that he didn't directly answer her question, Oliver examined her expression. "You're not jealous are you?"

Chloe scoffed as she shuffled closer to him. "Hardly, word was that she had a thing for you though."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Gossip runs what it must." But on the subject of people knowing, Oliver wanted to cover his bases. "Does Hal know?" After all, he would likely be seeing Hal before Chloe, and while he didn't want to cross any lines, the way that Chloe raised her eyebrow told him everything. Smirking back at her, Oliver leaned his forehead down to hers. "I should have kept looking for you."

Closing her eyes at the contact, Chloe moved her hand up Oliver's chest then around his back. "I had to stay hidden." She couldn't risk anyone else if Clark Luthor was that serious about taking out her enemies. She wasn't risking Oliver to come back, so she did the selfless thing and held back, a decision Chloe would make every time.

"You could have called, said something."

"I couldn't, you know that." Or else Chloe would have. She would have gone to see him, but then she knew that she couldn't leave him again. Part of her thought about reaching out, but by the moment the timing seemed to finally be right, everything went downhill. "When Clark changed, you were...gone. So I figured this was my new life."

"In Star City?"

"Cleaning up the mess you left behind," Chloe replied with a grin as she peered up at him. "Or so I thought."

Her gaze signified the shift in explanations, and Oliver was ready. "As you guessed, Tess caught on that Ultraman wanted me gone. But a difference was made in taking someone like me down." Not the one that Oliver anticipated, but he knew there were a million ways it could have been worse. "I didn't expect Clark Luthor to end up with my wife six months later, but hey, apparently crime rates in Metropolis are the lowest ever."

Hearing that, Chloe closed her eyes again and pulled herself away from Oliver. Now sitting up, Chloe shifted even further away from him, sighing as she looked out the window. "I forgot you married Lois."

She took a deep breath, yet still found a way to swallow hard. Chloe may have seen him and her cousin pull away, but that didn't change the guilt Chloe felt inside. Seeing Lois cry at Ollie's funeral, it was possible that things were getting better.

Chloe's silence worried Oliver, so he sat up and moved carefully to sit behind her. "We got married because... it was like holding onto the last piece we had of you." He never thought that he would have to explain this to Chloe, but it seemed like it was needed. "If you were alive, it never would have happened."

Her feet now outside the covers on the opposite side of the bed, Chloe whispered, "That doesn't change anything." It didn't change their current status, because even if the world didn't know that Oliver Queen was alive, Chloe did. It was complicated, but it felt wrong.

Oliver wasn't a fool; he knew exactly what was going on in her head, and he knew he had to dispel it quickly. "Does her being engaged to Clark Luthor?" he quickly countered, noticing how Chloe's head jerked in response. "I know you follow her life enough to know of her recent status."

She did. She had forgotten, but Chloe had read about the recent engagement between the two. Initially, Chloe was horrified by the prospect, as Lois knew Clark was responsible for Oliver's 'death.' But then, she was reminded of how Luthor had changed, and oddly for the better.

Except now, she just felt stupid. It seemed that it was in Chloe's nature to doubt things, but she felt herself biting down on her bottom lip hard, an action Oliver didn't miss.

"You really haven't changed at all," he said, pulling her back towards him so that her back rested against his chest. "Always fighting against what you want. Badly."

Feeling Oliver kiss her cheek, Chloe tilted her head up slightly to catch his eyes. "What is it about you that makes me lose all rational argument?"

"I don't know," Oliver replied as he began kissing her neck, "maybe it's because you love me?"

"I do... love you."

"I know, I love you too." Sitting back up, Oliver placed his hands on her belly, hearing the soft moan that came from Chloe as he brought his entire body closer. "So how exactly have you been so under the radar since Lex died?"

Chloe blinked, not expecting the question, as she thought the explaining was over, but Chloe figured it was better to answer the question instead of ignoring it. "I can handle myself just fine you know. But I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have help."

"Anyone I know?" Oliver asked. From her tone, it seemed clear to Oliver that Lex wasn't the only one who helped her out, but there didn't seem to be anyone in Chloe's new life.

There was, but it wasn't something that Chloe could tell Oliver. "Sorry, that's their secret, even from you." Chloe owed them too much to betray their trust now. "But I meant it when I said Hal had no idea." He really had been the biggest coincidence of all.

Turning her body so that Chloe now faced him, she admitted to him what she could. "Our team inherited Lex's entire estate, and between that and our day jobs... we did what we have to in order to survive." However, there was still one thing she didn't understand. "We looked for you everywhere. We were all supposed to be dead, so we figured there was a chance... how?"

Staring at Chloe, Oliver could see how her eyes were becoming glassy, as he could only imagine how much time she had spent looking for him. "Tess handled that part of things. I was underground for a few months, but Chloe, if I would have known..."

That was the thing. He could have known, and not just from her. But she decided it was best to keep herself away from him. "That doesn't matter anymore." Seeing Oliver here now, it made Chloe care less about the _hows _and _whys_. For the first time in a very long time, she just wanted to focus on the future.

Instead, it was Oliver that a little hesitant. He knew there was more to how Chloe disappeared, heck, they had only scratched the surface of his own disappearance, but eventually Oliver silently let it slide. Carefully pulling them both back towards the mattress, Oliver kissed her gently. "How long are you here for?"

Chloe frowned as she propped herself up so that her upper body rested on his chest. "My flight... leaves tonight actually. But I can change it."

Oliver shook his head. "That won't be necessary." Streaming his hand down her bare back, he eyed his situation, treasuring the moment. "I'll be in Star City before you know it and... we can start again."

Smiling, Chloe moved so that she was straddling Oliver. "Anything is truly possible isn't it?" Leaning down towards him, Chloe teased before kissing him, "Roy."

But Oliver wasn't having any of that as he grabbed the back of her head, deepening the kiss. When air became necessary, he let up on his grip enough so that Chloe could back away slightly. "I'm starting to believe that's the case... Cora."

Knowing that they had a schedule to keep, Oliver moved his hands down her body, pulling the rest of her down on top of him. "Just how long till we have before your flight?"


	6. Part 6

**Part 6**

This was the first time that Chloe felt a little bittersweet walking through the Star City airport, but alas, life does go on, and she had to go back. Oliver would be coming soon, and for now, that would get her through.

Pushing the final door open, Chloe looked up and quickly noticed her ride was here waiting for her. And it wasn't just any friend. Chloe meant it when she told Oliver that she had help, as he wasn't the only one that called her by her real name.

Emily Hopkins had been one of the staples in Chloe's life since Lex's death, one of the few people she could rely on. It helped that they had something in common, except it would be the last thing people would guess. Chloe was a blonde journalist from Kansas, Emily a brunette hacker from Michigan, yet the two woman were the two beneficiaries of Alexander Luthor's estate.

Her friend was dressed in a silver t-shirt and black jeans, and even from a distance, Chloe could see the circles under Emily's eyes. But soon her familiar smile framed her face when she noticed Chloe. Rising from her seat across the hallway, Emily quickly walked over to Chloe, wrapping her arms around her when she got close.

"Welcome home Cora."

"Em, nice to see you as always."

Feeling this, Chloe couldn't help but crack a smile. It was amazing to see how far their friendship had come, and how much everything had slowly improved since they met, even if blessings took disguises. The first time they met, Chloe was fairly skeptical of Emily, and who could blame her? Emily was the last person she expected at the end of a long journey to find the other half of Lex's money. Chloe's search had taken her months, and it had taken her to a townhouse in a city five hours away from Metropolis.

**~0~**

_This was insane. Here she was, knocking on a door, hoping for answers, answers Chloe honestly didn't even have questions for. Well, besides how this place was the end of the trail to the other half of Lex's estate. _

_The house wasn't much, and the car out front was a ten-year-old clunker. Whoever lived here clearly didn't care about material possessions. That was if anyone did live here. All that time driving, it didn't seem to panning out like she intended. But Chloe stayed in her spot, hoping._

_Finally, footsteps from inside the house were coming towards Chloe, and soon she was face-to-face with a woman, who seemed to be around her age. Upon seeing Chloe, she just smirked, sized up her visitor, and eventually chuckled as she stepped aside, implying for Chloe to come in. "Welcome."_

But Chloe didn't go inside, skeptical of how the woman was so comfortable with her presence already. "Should I know you?"

_"Not likely," the woman replied with a casual shrug. "Compared to you, my public profile is... well... non-existent." Flashing a smile, she gestured again for Chloe to come inside. "I swear, I don't bite."_

This time, Chloe did accept the invitation. The inside of the home appeared the same as the outside: unassuming. Nothing lavish, no odd possession that stood out. Even the woman's appearance of basic yoga pants and a bargain t-shirt. From the outside, she seemed to be the furthest thing from being an heiress.

Then again, Chloe knew nothing about the woman. "So I take it I would be correct in assuming you know who I am."

"Chloe Sullivan." It was said as if her name was the most common of sense, but the woman seemed content on getting to know her. Holding out her hand for Chloe to shake, she finally introduced herself. "Name's Emily Hopkins, and no, there's no reason for you to know my name."

_Chloe was initially tentative, but eventually shook Emily's hand. "So why does Lex knows yours?" Nothing made sense, and Chloe had contemplated all of the options. The only thing that remotely made sense was... no, it couldn't be. But the question still had to be asked. "Were you...?"_

Emily stared back at Chloe, and once she was able to fill in the blanks, she brought her hand to her mouth, coughing a couple of times. "No," she replied confidently once she got her breath back. "We couldn't be further from each other's types."

Clearing her throat again to get the unwelcome image out of her head, Emily gestured her head towards the kitchen. "You want some coffee? I just finished putting a pot on."

"If you wouldn't mind," Chloe replied. She had driven all this way, and considering everything, caffeine would be a definite plus. So she followed behind Emily to head towards what Chloe assumed was the kitchen.

Emily looked over her shoulder, glad to see that the blonde was giving her a shot, but she also realized that she never answered the question. "Do you remember how LuthorCorp suffered a financial humiliation last year thanks to someone hacking their accounts?"

One of the finer moments in Kansas history in Chloe's opinion, a moment that was clammed up faster than it was created, but it was never forgotten to Chloe. And apparently this woman too, but how? "Wait...that was you?"

"Guilty." Emily never got tired of the surprise of people's voice when they figured it out, not that a lot of people had. She wasn't sure if it was because she was a woman, but Emily never cared, even if she did technically get caught. "Lex was responsible for finding me, and he did. But he allowed me to keep the money as long as I kept tabs on the security, made sure it was up to his standards."

_"So he hired you?"_

_"It's more of an under the table scenario." Being paid on paper meant that Lionel would find her, and if Emily was lucky, her life would be in a jail cell. But more likely, she would have been in a body bag, and Lex saw that as a wasted resource. So yeah, Lex was using her, but she was alive, and she could still live her life, she just had to be careful. Emily took the chance, figuring that it was better than being dead. But what she didn't expect was a sudden inheritance. "After all, no one would believe a Luthor would give him entire estate to two charities."_

_Chloe was quick to clarify, "I gave plenty to charity though." _

_"So did I," Emily countered. "Despite the kindness Lex showed me, I wasn't overly fond of the idea that I owed the Luthors anything. Besides, I liked having an actual paycheque, so I started my own technical writing business."_

Emily pulled out a card and passed it to Chloe, who read it quickly before looking back up. Echo Tech... she had never heard of it, but it seemed to provide Emily with enough of a living. "I've made quite a client base, without them having a clue of who I actually am. It helps that I write under a pseudonym though."

Squinting at the card momentarily, Emily was quick to point out the phone number. "You can call me at that number if you need anything. If you're interested, you're welcome to join, or do your own thing... even live here if you want, because this really is a safe house."

Suddenly, Chloe heard a creak on the upper floors, causing her to look towards the ceiling. "Is there someone else here?"

Emily biting her bottom lip sold her answer, but she also was ready to hold her ground. "I'm as loyal as they get, which you'll discover if you give me the chance, but you have to stick around a little longer to get the full story. So are you staying or going?"

_"Define staying."_

Emily's index finger pointed up as she replied, "There's a spare bedroom upstairs. Unless you like whatever place Lex likely set you up in."

The trust Emily showed Chloe was incredible, but for some reason, Chloe felt it was mutual. Being who they were, knowing more or less a person's character based on how they lived, Chloe had a feeling that she was really could interact with people again. After Lex's death, company, contact, had been limited at best. "This would beat my underground bunker of a home."

_"Great," Emily replied with a smile, even if it wasn't a straight answer, but she wanted Chloe to know she was welcome. "Feel free to move in whenever... I don't leave much."_

**~0~**

That much was the truth. Emily relied more on her paycheque in her writing business than her inheritance, preferring to save that for a rainy day, or towards what Lex was technically paying her to do. Finding a way to bring the Luthors down financially. If their wrongdoings couldn't be tried in court, they could freeze their assets, stop their illegal projects, their hold on the Metropolis area and to an extent, the entirety of America.

They found and shut down three major accounts, giving the majority of what they 'stole' in charities. The three of them were a great team, but what they were doing wasn't enough. They had to get closer. They had enough money to keep the property and buy one more, so they moved to Metropolis' outskirts to keep a closer eye on things.

As time went by, more risks were taken, including two people from that same town walking the streets. Identities were erased, but only Chloe created an alias. The other two started from scratch with their names, and one risked everything to keep an eye on things outside of the door of the house, while Chloe and Emily worked behind the scenes.

But Oliver's death started a cycle of things changing. It was also that moment when they realized, despite Lionel's presumed death, Clark Luthor was no different.

It struck something in all of them, Oliver's so-called passing. Days, weeks, months were poured into it, trying to find a loophole, a possible way he was still alive, but nothing came of it. Chloe wanted retribution, anything to get back at the Luthors, but then Clark changed.

Months after Oliver's funeral, Clark apologized at a press conference, and day after day, he would walk the talk. The irony was that it was love that changed the man, and Lois no less. The one remaining person in Chloe's life actually got through to a Luthor. Go figure.

Eventually, they all realized that all the work they were doing, it didn't make the pain any better, it didn't give back what they lost. They had to live their own lives, to an extent anyway.

First, they moved out to Star City, figuring they needed a place far from Luthor influence. It was hard for Chloe initially, but she managed fine after awhile.

Echo Tech was also shut down, as Emily worked instead as a barista at a local cafe, desperately wanting to have a chance to live in the real world. Lionel being dead and Clark changing gears basically gave her a new lease on life, and Emily was willing to take that chance both personally and professionally.

She never went back to Michigan, feeling too much time had passed, but Chloe knew she was happy. These days, Chloe liked to think her entire team was as happy as life could afford them to be, and well, things were about to get even more interesting.

Staring back at her friend as she backed away, Chloe noticed that Emily had furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"

It shouldn't have been anything, but Emily couldn't get over the wide smile on Chloe's face. The expression wasn't exactly common for Chloe these days. She was satisfied most days, but happy, not so much. "Oh no, please don't tell me that Hal got to you."

Chloe's eyes bulged momentarily as her words set in before completely refuting that idea. "No no, Hal's fine, but... no."

"You look... " Emily's voice trailed as she awkwardly shook her hand in front of Chloe, "over-happy, for lack of better terms."

Taking joy out of her friend's discomfort was probably wrong, but Chloe couldn't help it. The way Emily was walking around the obvious was entertaining. "Why don't you just spit it out?"

"You're glowing," Emily blurted before rolling her eyes. "Happy?"

Picking up her bag again, Chloe began to follow Emily towards the exit. "I find it funny how coy you are in regards to this considering your relationship status."

Emily immediately averted her eyes before replying, "That's... different."

At that, Chloe had to chuckle as they both entered the automatic revolving door. "Um, I was a third wheel for months, trust me it's not."

Emily's eyes narrowed momentarily as she pointed her index finger in Chloe's direction. "You set us up, ergo, you have no right to complain."

Raising her eyebrow, Chloe fired back as her foot hit the pavement outside the airport, "I'm sorry, was I was supposed to just sit back and deal with the awkward tension between you two?"

Emily wasn't sure how the conversation had veered this much towards her own relationship, but she nonetheless continued to downplay it as they crossed the street towards the parkade. "There wasn't..."

Initially, she thought about finishing that sentence, but when she turned her head, all she saw was Chloe's skeptical expression, and well, Emily was kind of biased when it came to this matter. For all she knew, she really _was _that bad. "Okay fine."

Holding her arm out to press the button that unlocked her blue sedan, Emily added, "But this isn't about me." She had all the facts when it came to Chloe's social life, or rather lack thereof. There hadn't been a guy, not even a one night stand, in at least a year. "What was different about this guy?"

"Nothing," Chloe replied as she opened the passenger door. Sitting down, Chloe felt herself take a deep breath. The door shut, her seat belt done up, she looked to her friend and said calmly, "Em, I found Oliver."

"I'm sorry," Emily immediately replied, "I thought you just said that you found Oliver."

"I did."

Emily's eyes understandable widened, as she didn't want to believe what Chloe was saying, but she could tell that her friend was completely serious. "Wow. Can't say I was expecting that."

When those were Emily's only words before she turned her keys in the ignition, backing the car out of the parking space as if it wasn't a big deal, Chloe felt confused. Convincing her... it felt too easy. "You believe me?"

"Chloe, the only thing true about my identity or my boyfriend's... is our names. You made a new identity." Emily looked both ways before turning onto the main road, calmly replying as she moved the car over a few lanes. "Oliver being alive isn't surprising, it's just that... I guess I'm a little disappointed." Slowing down as the car reached their exit, Emily finally had a chance to turn towards Chloe again. She really wanted to say this to her face. "I really tried to find him for you."

Taking in her friend's frown, Chloe placed her hand on Emily's shoulder. "We all did, I know." Emily nodded and quickly looked back towards the road, so Chloe decided to take the conversation in another direction. "Speaking of your boyfriend... where he is?" Normally, she had both of them at the airport when she came back into town.

"Top secret business trip with Tess." Emily wished that she could say more, but not even he had details. Whatever Tess was up to worried her, but considering what she had done since taking over Queen Industries, Emily was willing to trust Miss Jenkins that much.

But the worried look on her face wasn't lost on Chloe. "When did he leave?"

Sensing the concern in Chloe's question, Emily managed a smile. "I drove him to the airport this morning." Her grin widening, she joked, "Then I just hung around... which is like pulling teeth so you know."

Chloe chuckled once before turning her head back to rest against the headrest, staring out towards the road. "Well, thanks for picking me up."

"No problem, you can make it up to me by filling me in on everything Oliver related." After a second, Emily made sure to clarify, "The PG rated stuff."

* * *

_Sera's Scribbles: Quick reminder because it's been a while since I've updated, and it's not an often-used detail. Tess' mother's last name was Jenkins, as she wasn''t adopted in the mirrorverse- hence no Mercer._

_Also, my comment about my head-canon taking over... this is essentially why. The rest of it... is coming. I apologize for the lack of Chlollie on this chapter, but the whole reason this story is still going is because I wanted to consider Chloe's team, so I hope you can bear this so blanks can be filled and well... more stuff can happen. What I'm doing (and about to do) may seem weird/wrong, but I ask for your trust, because I think I can make this worthwhile._


	7. Part 7

**Part 7**

The whole thing made no sense in his mind, but for now, he was here, so he knocked on the door and waited.

Prior to this moment, there had been one strict rule: no phones, no electronics, or in short, no outside communication of any kind. All for a prospective employee by the name of Roy Connor. Whoever he was, his credentials were solid, but whatever message Tess was trying to send his way, he was clearly missing it. All Victor could hope for was that if Tess wasn't giving answers, then maybe Roy would.

Little did he know how true that statement was when the door opened. He blinked a couple of times, for while everything made a lot more sense, that didn't make the news any easier to believe. "No _way_," was about all he could say.

Oliver stood at the other side of the doorway, chuckling lightly. "Victor Stone, long time." He figured Tess would be bringing more people into the loop soon, and Victor was a logical choice.

Stepping through the doorway, it was Victor's turn to laugh. Of all the possibilities, this wasn't one that Victor thought possible, and after everything Victor had done after he heard about Oliver's passing, it seemed perfectly reasonable. "Roy Connor, really?"

"Says the man who should have changed his name," Oliver remarked. Sure, Victor had made a name for himself, but when the two men had first met, things weren't so great for Victor.

It, a name change, was something that Victor thought about. The reason he never did was because he knew there was no way he was escaping who he was. Finding someone to accept him allowed Victor to accept himself, to accept life and stop running. "Fortunately for me, I had a really great boss." After all, Oliver was more than instrumental in helping that come to fruition. "And then he had to disappear."

Of all the people Oliver had to leave behind, Victor was one of the few that he felt guilty about. The younger man didn't seem to have many people in his life, but the resulting consequences were better than Oliver expected. "Things seemed to work out in your favour."

Victor scoffed, aware of what Oliver was insinuating. "Thanks to you," he said, figuring that some of his good luck might not have been luck after all.

But Oliver was quick to refute that idea. "No, actually your skills... and loyalty got you that position." It took awhile for Tess to come around, but even she saw his value. It's the reason Victor saw promotion after promotion, ending up as Tess' current right-hand man, the vice president of the entire company.

"Well, I appreciate it," Victor replied, staring at his suit, his overall appearance. He really had come a long way. "Not everyone would take a chance on me like you did."

"As far as I'm concerned, that was one of the best decisions I've ever made." Oliver knew all about the man's past, but seeing how everything had panned out, he truly believed that hiring Victor was worthwhile. But Oliver didn't want to reminisce for too long, as they both had work to do. Sitting down in one of his living room chairs, he asked, "How are things?" _Things _could have been related to the company, Victor's life, or something else, Oliver didn't care. He just wanted to start looking at the present.

Cracking a smile, Victor sat across from Oliver. "Things are good." He thought about saying more but feeling his briefcase hit the ground reminded Victor of the visit's purpose. "So... what's going on? Are you coming back?"

"Eventually," Oliver replied, realizing that there was no point in delaying the obvious. "There's just some details to hammer out."

Opening the briefcase on the table, Victor pulled out the folders within which included detailed information about Queen Industries deals and projects. He may not have seen the case's contents prior to now, but his purpose was even clearer now. "How much has Tess told you?"

Looking down at the files, Oliver replied honestly, "Believe it or not... more than you think."

**~0~**

"Coast City? Seriously?"

Chloe watched as Emily dropped her car keys on the front table, but all she could do was shrug. "Trust me, I was more shocked than you are." Closing the door behind her, Chloe leaned against it, reminded of her initial reaction when she first saw Oliver, the moment she realized that it was true. Everything was still setting in, but Chloe didn't expect to wake up tomorrow and see a different reality. She knew this was the truth.

Emily could understand her friend's shock, after all, Chloe loved the man. But as the details piled up, it was harder for her to stomach how close they were. "And he _knew _Hal?" That fact alone almost felt too good to be true, one that had to be stomached with coffee.

Pushing herself off the door and back into reality, Chloe nodded as she slipped off her shoes. "Saved Hal from a bar fight that had gotten out of hand."

It was a story she even confirmed with Hal, as apparently the guy had a few too many to drink and flirted with the wrong girl. Oliver's good nature got him to step in-between the feud, but as a consequence, he suffered a black eye from the other guy. The rest of the story was fuzzy depending on who she asked, but that really didn't matter.

Meanwhile, Emily was still trying to process everything Chloe had just told her. Even if she was less involved in Chloe's life at that point, it was still a shock to Emily. Sipping her coffee, even though it was cold, it felt good to have something go down her throat. She shook her head for what felt like the millionth time before asking, "How did we miss him?"

Chloe didn't have an answer for that. The only thing that made sense was that, "We didn't give Tess enough credit. After all, if you're looking to hide an infamous billionaire, you have do it right. So stop looking at me like it's your fault."

For a second, the women shared a glance, and eventually Emily gave in. "Sometimes I forget how well you know me." However, there was one thing Emily wanted to know for sure. "How much does he know?" If nothing else, she had to know how to talk in front of Oliver when they inevitably ran into each other once Oliver moved back to Star City.

Walking up to stand beside Emily, Chloe poured herself a cup of coffee. After all, temperature was far from a reason Chloe would consume caffeine. "Everything Lex related."

Her friend had averted her eyes subtly after that statement, and it helped that Chloe began to drink her coffee, but Emily was smart enough to see through it. "That's your way of saying that he knows nothing about us?" When Chloe didn't immediately reply, Emily added, "Chloe, you could have told Oliver."

Chloe placed her cup on the counter, not expecting Emily to be so open to the idea of telling Oliver. That didn't change anything though, as Chloe didn't regret her decision. At the time, the _whole _truth would have been too much. "It didn't feel right," she finally said as she took a couple steps from the counter, but it wasn't long before Emily spoke again.

"Just... do me a favour."

"What?"

"Don't look for a reason to run," Emily said firmly. She waited for Chloe to turn her head, and when she did, Emily pressed on, "You have a second chance with Oliver, so please, don't do what you normally do."

"Really?" Chloe asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're giving me that kind of advice?"

Rolling her eyes, Emily sipped the rest of her cup of coffee, the implication not lost on her. It was the reason she was giving Chloe this advice, because they did have similar tendencies. However, there was a glaring difference, one Emily was more than willing to point out after she finished her coffee.

"I was a wanted criminal Chloe... and disowned by my own family." The way Emily saw it, Chloe was wanted for a completely different reason, and it was much better than hers.

LuthorCorp turned her into a fugitive until Lex wiped her records clean, and from there Emily would start everything over. Birthplace, schools, everything had been altered, even if the photo would mostly remain the same. Like Oliver, she used colour contacts and instead of a dye job, she settled on cutting her hair to shoulder-length.

From there, she lived as best she could, and she never expected to have company. Instead of having a life on the run, Lex gave her a life she could enjoy, and as much as she thought about going back, telling the whole truth, Emily wasn't going to take any chances.

Fisting her fingers on top of the counter, she frowned, thinking about her childhood. Her family and her used to be so close, but now, she figured she would be a stranger in her own home, even if they knew who she was. So Emily asked sarcastically, "You really think I can go back now?"

Chloe looked over to Emily. She could sense the worry in her friend's eyes, and she knew that Emily was only looking out for her, but that feeling was mutual. "Oliver and I are looking to start over... you know that you can too." Smiling as their eyes met, she added, "You have character references."

Emily appreciated that, and seeing how things were looking up, not to mention the sudden reappearance of Oliver, there was always the small chance that things were less impossible than she thought. However, that didn't change what was important now. "We'll figure this out, allow you and Oliver to regain what you've lost, and then we'll talk about me."

**~0~**

It had been a long week for Victor, as plenty of unknown blanks were suddenly filled. Oliver, Tess' real involvement in his life and more insight into a Luthor family that Victor swore that he'd never figure out. Maybe that was why he was so glad to come home to something reliable. Then again, he didn't always think of her that way.

Back then, Victor was a street bum on a corner in Florida, and she was this mysterious presence that brought him dinner for seven straight days, never asking anything of him. Eventually, he stopped taking the food, started moving from spot to spot, but she always found him, so Victor gave up. Even then it was clear she knew who he was, yet she never took him anywhere against his will, a fate much kinder than most people who knew about him.

Victor Stone, the successful lab patient of a risky procedure for a new kind of metal prosthetics. Everything looked normal, everything ran like skin and bones, but beneath the surface was a completely different matter. There were days that Victor thought that he was a machine, a lab subject, more than a human. It didn't help that the doctor died soon after and with no sign of his research notes, everyone figured that the only option was to examine the guinea pig.

It's why Victor ran, content with street life if it meant he could live his life. The only reason he agreed to the procedure was because he had nothing more to lose; as he had already lost his family in a car accident. But he knew that a second round of experiments would be too much.

Then she showed up.

**~0~**

_"You're still here," she remarked as she crossed her arms._

_Victor scoffed as he brought his legs to his chest, averting his eyes. He really didn't understand this woman, whoever she was. "What do you want?" he muttered, tired to trying to figure out the woman's intentions._

_Leaning against the wall, she just looked straight ahead, maintaining her casual stance. "Technically I was hired by LuthorCorp, but I have no intention of handing you over." She laughed once before turning her head towards Victor. "Lex has given me the utmost trust, but... I refuse to trust a Luthor in regards to anyone else." She knew what they were capable of, and while Lex was the only reason she was still alive, she wasn't pushing her luck._

_Victor wasn't stupid either though, as he figured she was admitting this only so she would gain his trust. That was something Victor wasn't willing to give easily. "That didn't answer my question."_

_"Okay, I'll make this easier on you." She pushed herself off the wall to walk over to him, and eventually sat down next to him. "I hacked into LuthorCorp's finances, and Lex is keeping me alive because it pisses off daddy dearest." Looking skyward, she smiled, knowing that it wasn't everyday she got to introduce herself. "I'm Emily, and what I want... is to offer you a safe haven. One that will hide you from LuthorCorp and everyone else."_

_He doubted that. The only way Victor could see himself being safe was to stay off the radar and off the streets. Besides, he didn't want to owe anyone anything else. "I don't want to be a charity case."_

_"Oh no, you'll work," Emily replied, completely serious. "I run a business that doesn't require you to show your face, or even remotely reveal your identity."_

_It seemed like a nice offer, but Victor was aware of his lack of skill sets. High school was all about football and once he lost that opportunity, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. "Probably wouldn't be much help." _

_Emily expected as much from a guy who had given up on life, but she hadn't tracked him for nothing. "I'm aware of your father's position at S.T.A.R Labs. Something tells me the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." She grinned at him again, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, what type of boss would I be if I didn't mentor you in some way?"_

_The more she talked, the more he wanted to believe her. But Victor had learned early that most, if not all things, came with a price. "Why would you do this?"_

_A valid question, one that Emily was ready for, regardless of whether or not he believed her. "I'm a sucker for lost souls," she replied as she got up. "And a fan of second chances. You haven't gotten one yet." Walking slowly away from him, Emily figured it was best to take her leave. If he wanted to follow her, or take her up on her offer, now would be the only time. _

**~0~**

To this day, Victor wasn't sure why he believed her. Maybe desperation had finally hit him, maybe even loneliness, but he was grateful to her. Emily had kept her word, as even though Lex would stop by, she never compromised his location to him. Together, they had created identities around the names they were familiar with, allowing them to blend in plain sight before Victor began to work for Queen Industries.

Truth be told, Emily probably saved his life. Victor never imagined that he'd find someone who'd understand him as well as she did, but that was just who Emily was.

Stripping down to his boxers, he crawled under the covers, moving himself as close to her as possible, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close.

"You're late," she muttered in the pillow, her voice a little groggy. She had expected him four hours ago, dinner had even gone cold. However, she trusted him, and knew there was a good reason behind it.

He smirked, knowing that she couldn't see it, but he still felt a little guilty for waking her up. Seeing her head lift up slightly, Victor slid his other arm underneath it, noticing how she grabbed his hand in response once her head rested on the pillow again. "Sorry," he whispered, initially thinking that he'd let Emily fall back asleep, but Victor knew her curious nature enough to know that would never happen. "I had quite the surprise in Coast City."

Squeezing her eyelids tighter together before opening them slowly, Emily started putting pieces together in her head, even in her tired state. "You sure you can disclose that?"

"No," Victor replied, leaning in to kiss the back of her shoulder, "but I trust you."

"Hmm." Emily turned in his arms, smiling as their eyes met. "You better." Sure, _trusting her_didn't usually always include work details but if he was telling her this, Emily had a pretty decent clue as to why.

Reaching forward to tuck her hair behind her ear, Victor whispered, "I missed you," before kissing her softly. One disadvantage of being VP was the increased travel, but Emily was the whole reason Victor even took the promotion. He could still remember the look on her face when he first told her. Even since, they had managed to keep their personal lives separate from Victor's business life, as Emily never attended any of the functions, but that worked for Victor.

That way, he had someone outside of work, and she'd still could be someone that he could come to no matter what. It was things like that which made it easier to go on trips, but Victor was diligent of reaching out at least once. "I would have called but Tess took my phone... didn't give it back until the limo ride home."

Victor expected a confused reaction, but Emily just grinned as she looked up at him. "Makes sense considering why you were there."

"Is that so?" Emily was great at reading people and figuring things out, but he hadn't given her much to go on. But Victor knew that look, she was pretty darn confident, and she seemed eager to share her theory.

"Chloe ran into Oliver in Coast City... I'm assuming Tess took you there to see him."

All Victor could do was nod. "She wanted a familiar face for when they started working him back into the limelight." Hearing that was some of the best news Victor had heard in awhile, as the company could use some positive press to help the falling stock prices, not to mention a different leadership direction. It wasn't that Tess wasn't cut out for the job, the problem was that her heart wasn't in it anymore, and it was clear that she was looking to get out.

"He's... Oliver's... coming back?" Emily asked, not surprised that the sentence came out choppy. The way Chloe talked about this made it sound like Oliver was living as Roy Connor for good. If Chloe knew, she would have said something, but she never did... which meant Oliver never told her.

This could be problematic.

* * *

_Sera's Scribbles: Again... my head-canon, please bear with it. Chlollie is back for part 8, I swear. This was necessary gap-filling._


	8. Part 8

**Part 8**

Most people think that working as a barista means that a person needs money, or that their life got screwed up in some way. To Emily, the latter applied more, but not in the traditional sense because she _chose _this job.

She had enough of isolating herself, she wanted to see the world, interact with people again, see the smiles that light up their faces as the caffeine picks up or saves their day. Besides, Emily didn't need money, so the wage didn't matter. Although her post at the off-campus cafe did pay like crap.

It did have perks too though. It allowed for her to blend in, as not many people would pick Emily out of a crowd and accuse her of being an heiress or a fugitive. Then again, that's the cliché for cases like that so for all she knew, she could be wrong. But Chloe still trusted her enough to send Oliver here on his first day back in Star City when her workload had piled up more than she anticipated.

It sounded silly, to feel nervous over this matter, but after hearing so much about Oliver, actually meeting him... was kind of a dream come true. Not because she was a fangirl or anything, Emily just liked seeing other people happy... and the way he made Chloe happy was impressive, especially considering she had only seen them talk on the phone once.

So as the cab pulled up beside the cafe, Emily prepared herself. This was a big moment, even if she was the only one who would know it.

The whole town knew his face, and there was a chance they would recognize Oliver Queen again. But at this moment, no one even flinched to look in his direction. He hadn't changed much, and he looked happy. But she supposed that finding a long-lost soul mate had that effect. Going around the counter with her cloth, Emily knew she had a job to do... and it wasn't just related to serving coffee.

"Roy?" she called out trying to get his attention, and it seemed to work. Calling Oliver by his alias felt wrong after everything she had heard about the man, Emily almost felt like she knew him. But she had to play it cool. "Cora's running late, but I can get your drink order while you're waiting."

Oliver stared at the woman talking to him. She was clearly expecting him, but he really felt like he was missing something. "How did you...?"

"You look lost for one, and Cora left me a message." Moving her eyes up and down him, Emily knew it was Oliver. But she stared nonetheless, trying to figure out how no one was recognizing him. "Blonde hair, brown eyes," also known as the only changes. "Tall." Well, that he couldn't change. "It's not much, but I think I have the right guy."

Eventually, the slight shock wore off as Emily reminded herself of Chloe's scenario. Even as Cora Sutherland, she was a name in the papers, and while she thrived in her anonymity, she still had to meet her boss and with sources. It wasn't like she was a ghost in this town either and no one had caught on.

However, her staring had gone on for long enough that Oliver began to wonder why she was sizing him up. "Do I know you?"

Realizing that what she was doing had to be a little awkward, Emily cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. It's just..." What it was is really hard to formulate an honest sentence when she couldn't tell Oliver anything, not to mention the whole public place setting. "It's nice to meet you."

Nodding slowly, Oliver realized that he was probably overreacting. After all, this was a chance for him to meet someone in Chloe's life in Star City. With this woman's help, maybe Oliver could formulate an honest idea of how Chloe was living "So you know Chl- _Cora_well?"

Emily smirked at the misstep, but she couldn't call him on it. Blowing her cover had wasn't on her list of things to do either, even if she thought it was a stupid idea that Chloe hid their friendship from him. She may have lied to Chloe when she told her the other day that she was alright with it, but that didn't matter. All she could do now was wear a poker face, and hoped he bought it.

"As well as a barista can know their regulars." It was a fair answer, as anyone can know someone a lot; Chloe and Oliver's relationship alone was proof of that concept. "We hang out sometimes, but not often. Cora's pretty busy most of the time." That was actually true. Since becoming a freelance writer for the Star City Register, Chloe was often running down leads or breaking stories.

However, she knew what Oliver was trying to do, and Emily hadn't had the time to confirm back stories with Chloe to ensure covers weren't blown. So she knew she had to change the direction of the conversation. "She tells me that you're an old friend from college."

Oliver scoffed quietly. "Something like that." With that, Emily moved towards the tables to start cleaning them. As far as she was concerned, she had done what she had to do, but Oliver wanted to know more. It was clear that Chloe trusted this woman with more than her coffee order if she sent him here. "How long have you known each other?"

"A few years at least. I don't really keep track." She lifted the cups off the table and onto the tray, sighing at one which still contained coffee inside. "I just know her coffee order really well. The woman hasn't changed it in the slightest since she first walked in the door." Emily felt bad, lying to him about how well she knew Chloe, about if Oliver was about to come back into the light, that he better tell Chloe what was going on. But she couldn't say that. "Speaking of, you never mentioned what you wanted."

Oliver shook his head, his curiosity growing as the conversation wore on. "I'm good." Whoever she was, she was very good at deflecting the conversation and considering she was supposed to keep him company, she was doing a very bad job of even maintaining eye contact.

Sure, for all he knew she was just a barista, but Chloe insisted on him coming here. Oliver had an apartment in the city, so did Chloe. Yet instead of meeting at a place near either of those locations, she insists on a cafe across the city and she even has a barista check up on him. With Chloe, there was always a reason for things to happen like this, and Oliver couldn't shake the feeling that this was no exception.

"Nonsense," Emily replied as she finished wiping the table, slinging the dirty rag over her shoulder as if it wasn't a big deal that it was covered in dried coffee. "I'll make you up something, my treat. You've come a long way and considering airline prices for drinks… you're likely parched."

"You don't have to do anything..." His voice trailed as he still didn't know her name, but fortunately caught a glimpse of her name tag. "Emily."

She just grinned, tapping Oliver's shoulders as she headed back towards the counter. "I don't, but I want to."

Looking straight ahead, Emily noticed the door open, the familiar bell chime ring and sure enough Chloe entered the café, her eyes lighting up upon seeing Oliver. Her pace picked up the slightest and Emily couldn't help but watch as the two embraced not far from the doorway.

"Hey," Chloe whispered in his ear, "Welcome home."

Oliver turned slightly to kiss her cheek. "Glad to be here."

"Em," she called as she backed away. "Can I get –"

"You got it," Emily finished. "Sit down, enjoy."

Oliver noticed the two women smiling at each other before Emily went back to the counter. Leading Chloe to a nearby table, Oliver pulled out Chloe's chair, sliding it carefully as she sat down. "Thanks," she said, waiting for him to sit down.

"I admit... it's nice to meet one of your friends."

"Em's like my bartender. I feel like I can tell her anything."

Oliver raised his eyebrows. "Anything?" That word can get thrown around or misused, but in Chloe's case, knowing everything held a lot of power.

Rolling her eyes, Chloe was quick to counter, "You know what I mean." It was a lie, but after their initial argument, Emily had agreed that what Chloe did was best for the situation. "I trust her... and that's not just because she's the best barista in the city."

"I don't know about that," Emily remarked as she placed cups on the table, "but that's a compliment I'll take." When she saw Oliver's quizzical look, she wagged her finger between the two cups. "Two usuals."

Oliver was about to say something back, but Emily just walked away. Nonetheless, after a few seconds, he pointed out, "I don't have a usual."

"You're having hers," Emily called from across the room, grabbing the glass of water she had forgotten on the counter. "Figured if you didn't like it, then Cora would drink it for you." It wasn't a stretch, as she had seen Chloe go through three cups in one hour. But he didn't want to seem inconsiderate of Oliver, "Which is why I also brought this." It was the best she could do considering Chloe never mentioned what he liked to drink, not to mention Oliver's insistence of not telling her his drink order.

He smiled, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. Chloe likely would insist, but despite all the changes, Oliver liked to think that he held onto his gentlemen ways. Except it looked like Chloe wasn't the only about to stop him from paying.

"I can afford a couple of on-the-house drinks for my favourite customer," was all Emily said, and she meant every word before walking away. They deserved some time alone.

Chloe smirked, grabbing a quick sip of her coffee before sighing as the familiar taste soothed her throat. "See why I never go anywhere else?"

Oliver chuckled, reaching for the water glass. Even if Oliver did drink coffee, there was no way he was even going to sip from either of the other two cups. "I can imagine...especially considering your addiction."

"Hey." Chloe reached across the table and playfully slapped his arm, watching Oliver feign hurt afterwards.

His sour face eventually wore off with a shrug. "It's facts Cora."

There it was, the other thing that had changed besides their address. "I hate that you have to call me that." It was only in public, but it still stung to hear; especially now that Oliver was in Star City. She had gotten used to hearing him say her real name on the phone, as they called each other from their apartments, spending hours catching up.

But life was never that easy for either of them, and if this was the consequence, then so be it. However, that didn't stop Chloe from adding, "Sometimes I wish things were less complicated."

Oliver had seen the demeanour in her face change, knowing what was on her mind, knowing what she didn't know. Carefully, her replied. "Maybe... one day they will be."

Chloe scoffed. "Us? Uncomplicated?" Peering up, she noticed that Oliver was serious and as much as Chloe wanted to believe it was possible, she knew better. "Even as friends, that wasn't the case."

That was true, but Oliver also knew that difficulties were what you made them. It wasn't about the struggle at hand, but rather the techniques they used to overcome it. Being friends was complicated at one point, but they had made it easier, and every stage of their relationship followed that plan. Moving the chair around the table so he sat closer to Chloe, Oliver wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We still made it work though."

Chloe thought about the attention that the sentiment would draw, but that thought disappeared quickly as she leaned towards him. "We did, didn't we?" It was then she realized the conversation desperately needed a shift in subject matter. This was a good day, a good occasion, there was no need to get caught up in the past. "What's it like being back?"

"Weird," Oliver replied as he looked around the cafe. "Being able to walk down the streets without having people crowd around me, it takes getting used to." However, he enjoyed each second of it, especially because Oliver knew it wasn't going to last forever. Then again, that paled in comparison to the feeling of being back with Chloe. Even if there was still plenty going on in Oliver's life, the idea that he could live it with her again made him happier than he could have ever imagined. "I'm so glad you're here."

Threading her fingers through his, she peered up at him. "Feeling's mutual."

He smiled, watching as Chloe settled her head back against him. "How do you like the city?" There was a part in his life where Oliver thought about asking her to move out here, but he never thought she would. He would later be proved right, but now... she was here.

Reaching out to begin the second cup of coffee, Chloe bit her bottom lip before taking a sip. The first few days, she'd never forget them. Seeing the little things that she had heard Oliver mention, the places he was going to take her to _someday_, it was too much.

If memory served her right, she teared up in front of the bakery he said served the best blueberry muffins and he was right. Every week, she would trek to the bakery, rolling her eyes at how even a muffin could remind Chloe of him. "I'm not going to lie, it was hard initially. But since I've gotten used to it, I'm trying to figure out why you would have ever left."

The weird part was... she meant that. Star City was an amazing place to live and while it had crime of its own, it paled next to Metropolis' doomsday streets. Sure, Clark Luthor cleaned up his act, cleaned up the streets, but Star City really had its charms.

"If I remember correctly," Oliver replied quietly, his fingers playing with her hair. "I left because an attractive blonde loved me."

It was a sweet notion, but Chloe still rolled her eyes. Turning in her seat, she met Oliver's eyes. "You're not going to stop with that are you?"

Leaning so his forehead so it rested against hers, Oliver was ready to justify his comment. "I haven't seen you in years. I think I'm entitled to saying it multiple times."

Seeing the spark in his eyes, the happiness in his smile, Chloe's argument fell flat. The man was right and he also had a point. "Fine," she said, moving her lips to kiss him in the cafe, not caring who saw them.

**~0~**

It couldn't be right... could it?

She froze to her spot, blinking her eyes numerous times at the happy couple on the street. There was no doubt about it, fo ever though years had passed, she could still recognize Chloe Sullivan. Smirking slightly, Tess was glad they had found each other.

She had come by Oliver's temporary apartment to welcome him back, but it seemed like that had already been covered by Chloe. Tess was grateful for her timing too as even the slightest difference would have likely hampered the mood. This way, Tess could walk away and neither of them would know she was ever there. She would talk to Oliver about this at their next meeting, but any other pressing issue could wait.

For while Chloe being alive made everything more complicated, for the first time, Tess saw the first real shot to make up for everything she had done to them.


	9. Part 9

**Part 9**

She couldn't wait anymore. She tried, but it just wasn't working. Scenarios were running wild in her head and she wanted to get this settled once and for all. The only way to do that was to see Oliver himself.

Knocking hard on his door, Tess waited, practically ready to give Oliver a piece of her mind as the worst case scenario seemed the most plausible in this moment. So when he did open the door, she walked right past him. "Tell me she knows."

He rolled his eyes, closing the door. "Please... come in." His sarcasm was duly noted, but after Tess entered the apartment, she impatiently tapped her foot, waiting for a response. Oliver just shrugged because he genuinely didn't know what she was talking about, but that didn't sit well with Tess either.

Yet she couldn't risk a small smile breaking out when she admitted, "I saw Chloe with you last week. She looks good for someone who's supposed to be dead." It explained so much, like Oliver's sudden eagerness to come back to Star City. However, there had been a pause in the air every time Tess would mention Oliver taking over, so it wasn't hard to put two-and-two together. "So please tell me she knows everything."

Taking a minute to respond, Oliver eventually replied, "She knows most of it."

Most wasn't going to cut it in this case, because Chloe might as well know nothing if Oliver wasn't going to tell her the whole story. "How long have you known she was alive?" At this point, Tess hoped that there was a slight chance they had magically found each other in Star City.

"A month." It wasn't the answer that Tess was looking for, Oliver knew that, but there was no point in lying. Watching the woman roll her eyes, he tried to explain his position. "Finding each other was enough of a bombshell at the time and I'm not planning on keeping her in the dark for much longer."

"That won't be necessary," Tess replied, her gaze at her feet. This was what she came to do, even if it was a hard notion to bear. But if this was the consequence for her past actions, then she was willing to pay that price. "I'm willing to let you back out of the deal, let you live on as Roy Connor."

"What?" All this time, Oliver had been grateful for Tess saving his life, diligently taking care of his company, but this was a step above that.

"I honestly don't mind," Tess said softly, ignoring the shocked look on Oliver's face. "Consider this my redemption." For while she had a life that could buy anything, that was really all she wanted. She stripped herself of the Luthor name, but the blood still trickled through her veins and she never thought she would be clear of her actions, not to mention her family's.

But Oliver saw things differently; saw that Tess had received her redemption long ago. He shook his head, despite being flattered by the offer, but he knew his responsibility in this. "Tess, you've done your part, and I'm more than willing to follow through with mine."

Tess didn't get it, she knew Oliver wasn't this naive, yet he was pretending like everything would go back to normal; a hard feat considering any chance of normal went out the window when Chloe faked her death. So she said, "You and I both know that it's not going to be that easy," hoping a dose of reality would hit Oliver. Tess didn't want to crush his hopes, but they had to look at the full picture. "Look, you can still maintain your advisory role, and Victor can keep you in the loop if you're worried. But I can assure you Oliver that—"

"You don't think Chloe would stay with me if I follow through," he interjected quietly. He knew that was a possibility, it was probably why he dragged his feet a little in telling her, but Tess wasn't even considering the possibility that Chloe would take that chance.

"If Oliver Queen comes back to life, so does Chloe Sullivan." Tess shrugged as she sat down on the arm of the couch. "If nothing else, I believe déjà vu applies in this case." She noticed the flicker in his eyes as Tess knew he knew the truth in what she said. Even if Clark had changed, it didn't mean there weren't new villains out there.

However, it was more than that. It was the hope in their eyes Tess saw when she saw them walking down the street. It was love, a clichéd word in today's generation, but despite being a woman who never experienced love in her life; it was an easy concept to spot when she saw Chloe and Oliver. "It may not be my place to say this, but the only time either of you lived your own life was when you were together. You both deserve that much."

Oliver had stayed silent as Tess said what she had to and plenty of it was valid, but this was his decision to make and not hers. So he wasn't about to address what she said, settling for a simple question. "Why tell me this now?"

That answer was easy for Tess. "You can't string her along and then spill everything the night before. Not when this has been something you've known for so long."

"Then it's a good thing I'm planning on telling her." Tess was right about one thing; Oliver couldn't go any longer without telling her. But he couldn't hide this from Chloe forever either. Regardless of his decision, Chloe deserved to know the whole truth before she figured it out.

Nodding, Tess walked around Oliver, replying, "Good luck then," as she opened the door to exit the apartment.

She walked down the flights of stairs, not wanting to take the elevators in that moment because she wanted to clear her head. As she heard her heels click against the stairs, Tess could only hope Chloe would be as accepting as Oliver thought she would be.

Exiting the main door, Tess glanced quickly both ways before crossing the street to get to her car. In the distance, she could see a women walking up the block. She couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed like Oliver had less time to deliberate her words than she thought.

**~0~**

Squinting her eyes, Chloe noticed Tess get into her car, conveniently parked in front of Oliver's building. It appeared that running late was probably working out in her favour.

She swore that things were starting to get frustrating. When Oliver came to Star City, her life had been finally begun to find some sort of peace, but then Emily starting acting strange. For a girl that hid behind a huge secret of her own, not to mention Oliver's and hers, Emily had this way of her poker face slipping. Chloe knew something was bothering her, but when Em didn't want to talk, there was no point in trying to figure it out.

Knocking on Oliver's door, she decided to put that behind her, smiling widely as Oliver opened it. "Hey," she said, leaning up to kiss him. "How was your talk with Tess?"

His eyes initially narrowed, but he figured it wasn't much of a stretch that Chloe would see Tess leave the building, especially considering her timing. "Fine," he lied, as she had left him with plenty to think about.

He had planned to tell Chloe the truth tonight, but along with offering him a way out, Tess had planted a seed of doubt in Oliver's mind. "She was checking up on me," he added, "Making sure there's a smooth transition from Coast City to here."

Sitting down on the couch, Chloe stretched her legs across to rest her feet on the coffee table. "Does she keep you in touch with everything?"

Oliver nodded as he sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders without a second thought. "Yeah she does." Tess' training had its limits, so Oliver often had to give her advice during the first six months, but she had come a long way since then.

Chloe leaned closer to his side. "Do you ever miss it?"

"Of course," he replied honestly, "but certain sacrifices had to be made."

Feeling him thread his fingers through her hair, Chloe leaned her head back against his chest, eyes momentarily closing. "I can see she's changed." Chloe had gone to school with Tess and the person she was seeing now wasn't something Chloe thought was possible years ago. "Offering to take over your company… it's a pretty big gesture."

Taking a deep breath, Oliver prepared himself, knowing this was as good of a segue as he was going to get. "It's not for good."

"Obviously," Chloe replied casually, as she knew things at Queen Industries weren't going as smoothly lately. "It wouldn't surprise me if someone else stood at the top soon."

"That's the plan."

There was something in his voice that stuck with Chloe and she sat up slowly processing his words. Then it hit her, so she bolted off the couch, taking a couple paces away. When Oliver stood up, he gave her a knowing look, but all Chloe could do was shake her head. There really was a reason Oliver was being transferred to Star City, she had just been too stupid to see it. "When?"

"The original plan was in a month, but I'm willing to delay this."

"So..." Chloe drew out, noticing how he had begun to approach her, "Oliver Queen isn't staying dead?"

With a quick shake of his head, Oliver stopped to stand within inches of her. Reaching his arm out to rest on her shoulder, he was almost surprised that Chloe let him. "I said that we could start again, but... we really can."

Her mouth gaped open, trying to process everything. She glanced towards his hand, the soothing nature of the way his skin contacted her, and soon enough, she felt herself swallow hard. "I... never thought of it _that _way."

Oliver asked optimistically, "Would that be so bad?"

"Look what happened the first time." She didn't want to bring it up, but they couldn't ignore the facts either. They hadn't been together that long before Chloe had to disappear. Meanwhile, Oliver always had a target on his back, it was just worse with Chloe at his side.

He tilted his head slightly. "I'm full aware of that, and so is Tess." Her indirect mention of déjà vu had already gone to fruition, so Oliver figured it was only fitting that he informed Chloe that Tess knew about her. "She's willing to back out, to let me live on as Roy."

Chloe was quick to point out, "Which you've clearly just stated that you don't want to do."

However, Oliver was ready for that remark. "If it's what it takes to keep you in my life... I'm willing to do it."

That should have made her feel better, but it didn't. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing the slippery slope they were on, knowing the words she had to say wouldn't help, but they had to be said. "You know I can't do let you do that. I know what Queen Industries means to you."

"So what are you saying?"

Chloe bit her bottom lip hard and then said with as much conviction she could manage, "You should have told me sooner." All that time they had spent together, they had just gotten used to each other's company again and now this comes up.

Oliver rolled his eyes, not wanting to, but that wasn't the response he was hoping for. "Would you walk out on me like you're about to if I did?" It wasn't what Oliver wanted to say, but the more they talked, the more Tess' words were ringing true.

Chloe's eyes snapped up when she heard that particular question. After everything they had gone through, she couldn't believe how fast he jumped to that conclusion. "If I knew that you had a shot at getting your company back..." Her voice trailed, as Chloe reminded herself of everything she had put him through since the day they met. "It's what you have left of your family. That will never change."

Not like them. Even with the years that had passed and the obstacles overcame, the doubts never left Chloe. Taking his hand in hers, she whispered, "I won't let you sacrifice everything for me."

The problem was that it wasn't a sacrifice for Oliver and it hurt that she thought of it that way. While he didn't want to walk away from his company, he wanted to know, "Would you consider being Chloe Sullivan again?"

She immediately whispered, "It's more complicated than that." In their case, it was more than a name. Her murder was national news, but before Clark targeted her, Chloe barely got a taste of what that life was like. Being a cross-country friend was a little different than being star-crossed lovers. Not only that, but Chloe would also be pretty close to celebrity status no matter where she went. Her anonymity, her privacy, would disappear in seconds.

"You don't think that I..." His voice trailed, as it felt rhetorical to say he knew the complications of this decision. While he respected the fact that this was a lot to tell Chloe right now, there was the simple fact that she never answered any question directly. She was deflecting and Oliver couldn't get a sense that Chloe would do this. .

As much as he wanted to fight for her more, Oliver realized that ripping off the band-aid was becoming the best option. "Forget it."

Seeing the passion leave his eyes, Chloe felt him pulling away. "Ollie, I—"

"Would you come back as Chloe Sullivan?" Oliver asked again, hoping for an actual answer this time. He took a couple of steps back, feeling his fingers skim the edge of Chloe's fingertips before his arm eventually fell to his side. "Forget what happened to us, what _might _happen to us, and whatever worst case scenario you've probably concocted in your head. Would you do it?"

Chloe knew what Oliver wanted, but she couldn't give him a certainty. Things were different now and as much as she loved him, and as many days she spent, hoping to find her way back to him, Chloe had caused him so much pain. "I don't know."

Oliver stared at her, seeing the confusion in her eyes and recognizing the honesty in her voice. "Fine."

She shook her head, knowing that Oliver wasn't okay with what she told him, but she knew it was better to be honest than to promise something she wasn't sure she could handle. With Oliver, she could handle being Chloe Sullivan, but out there, being what the world wanted her to be, for once she cared about that. She had to. Standing alongside Oliver meant that people would look at her, and potentially use that against Oliver.

Standing in the spotlight wasn't a forte of Chloe's, as for years, she had hid in plain sight. Furthermore, she had never really been a part of Oliver's world, as she was usually his escape. Seeing what was ahead, Chloe wasn't sure if she could live up to those standards and the idea of losing Oliver after that sacrifice, even if he was still alive, was too much to bear.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, desperately breaking the silence in the air. "But I can't say anything for sure."

"Why not?"

"This isn't just Chloe Sullivan coming back to life. You know what you're getting into. I had two months Oliver... and then we went through this." That much, she knew he had to understand, but Chloe knew it was best to cover as many bases as possible. "The publicity will be tenfold because the press didn't even have time to acknowledge our status. They were too busy trying to prove it."

"You can handle it, I know you can."

"Do you really?" Chloe replied, not wanting to underestimate herself, but again, honesty held more value here than assumptions. "Oliver, I love you, but my life has been in the shadows. Doing my job has relied on that fact. Your life would have stability, certainty... and I'm not so sure that mine will have that same transition."

Nodding, Oliver took in her words. Part of him couldn't believe that she didn't think she could handle the transition, for while some of what she had said was valid, he knew Chloe had gone through worse. However, Oliver had already said as much, which Chloe had already responded in doubts. And if those doubts were that strong, he didn't see another choice ahead, causing him to utter a sentence that he thought he would never say to her, "So... this is it then?"

Her head jerking back in response, Chloe countered. "_That's _what you got out of what I said?" Unless her memory was shaky, she didn't remember saying no, or that it would never happen.

However, the only thing Oliver heard was Chloe continuing to avoid giving him a real answer, which he interpreted as her way of letting him down easier. At this point, he could hardly bear to hear it anymore. "If there's something in there about your willingness to do this that I'm missing, please... say it now," he said, his breathing feeling harder by the second. "Otherwise, I think you should leave."

Chloe's eyes widened upon hearing his cold tone as he delivered the words. Now he wouldn't even look at her. Opening her mouth to say something, Chloe tried to determine what would change his mind, but she knew there was nothing she could say confidently. This was too big of a step right now and she wanted at least a chance to think it over, but that time seemed to be more than Oliver was willing to give.

Holding back her voice, she turned around, walking towards the door to leave Oliver's apartment. When the door closed behind her, she leaned back against the wall next to it, wondering if she had made a terrible mistake. But when nothing but silence filled the air, Chloe began walking away.

* * *

_Sera's Scribbles: Let it be known how much I hate "break-up" scenes. I've written a grand total of two and they've both been absolute thorns in my side (for my twitter followers- this was the 'chapter of doom'). I am so sorry for the almost two-month delay, but I had to re-write this a couple of times and it got to the point where I had to take a break from this story altogether. I also have to recognize _ _**poetgirl925**__ for all of her support. Your comments were appreciated and they really helped make this better. I hope._

_Now this is done... this story might actually get some momentum. Part 10 is done minus minor edits and part 11 is pretty close to that. I can't promise anything, but I don't see any more month-long delays in this fic's future._


	10. Part 10

**Part 10 **

Things went according to plan, it just wasn't the plan Oliver wanted.

Oliver Queen, alive and well.

The world couldn't believe it, as the gossip rags called it a publicity stunt, but after the necessary DNA tests were done, everyone actually rejoiced in his home town, saying that they knew all along. For a week, he began to miss his privacy, as he couldn't even go into the lobby of Queen Industries without at least five photographers hounding him for the perfect shot.

He'd usually give it to them, wanting peace and quiet, but there wasn't much of that. But he didn't regret coming clean. He owed Tess after all the work that she had done and this was what Oliver was supposed to do. Hiding in the shadows while his company suffered was cowardly and that wasn't something that Oliver considered himself. As much as it killed him to admit, Chloe was right. He couldn't leave the company behind, even if he held just an advisory role. This was his life.

But living like this, knowing she was here and he couldn't reach out and touch her, it hurt. They had to pretend to be strangers when they were the furthest thing from that. This was the choice Chloe had made, and Oliver had to respect that, no matter how much it hurt waking up to an empty bed and that the only reminder he had of her status was a single photo they took before their break-up.

It wasn't hidden well, within a frame which held a photo of his parents, but it wasn't something people would look for. But it was enough in plain sight that Oliver knew that within one frame contained every person that he had loved and who had loved him back.

Holding the frame in his hand, Oliver sighed as he took in his parents' smiles, so lost in reality that he didn't even realize that his assistant was calling his name.

"Mr. Queen?"

His head bolted up, noticing a look of concern in her eyes. "What is it Lauren?"

A grin quickly framing her face, she pointed her thumb towards the door. "I'm sorry to bother you, but there's a man here who doesn't have an appointment who is insisting to see you."

Such was the burden of the decision. Every day people would pretend to be somebody else, wanting an interview, or something else. But Oliver told Lauren that she had permission to shoo them away, which is why it caught his curiosity why she was in his office now. "Did he leave his name?"

Lauren nodded. "Hal Jordan." Normally, she was more than willing to toss people out of Oliver's office, it was the reason she had held onto her job, but Hal was different. Oliver's alias hadn't been leaked to the press, yet he knew it, and he had details no one should have. It was either a genuine person trying to reach out, or Oliver's worst nightmare, she just wanted to know which one it was. "He's a—"

"Send him in."

The hint of a smile on her boss' face was more than Lauren had seen in days, so she was quick to hold the door open. "Mr. Jordan...please come inside. I'm sorry about the wait."

"Don't you worry about that," Hal said with a wink, but Lauren shook her head at his advance, heading back to her desk without a further word. Of course, Hal wasn't put off by her dismissal at all, directing his attention to Oliver. "So... I was chugging beers with one of the richest guys in the world?"

Oliver stood from his desk, grin widening. "Looks that way." He hadn't expected Hal to come by this quickly, but he was glad to see him. Hal was a familiar face, a guy that wouldn't bullshit with him, and one of the few that accepted him. "What brings you by?"

"Besides the fact you haven't called since your grand reveal? Seriously, I'm hurt by the lack of consideration." Hal's feigned hurt wore away quickly, his face turning serious. "Talked to Cora... said you two didn't work out. Thought I'd talk to the wounded parties considering I'm sort of to blame."

Hearing Chloe's alias stung more than Oliver wanted to admit, but it didn't stop him from deflecting the conversation topic. "I have to ask... why did you insist on setting us up?"

At this point, Hal was still trying to get used to the office, the reality of everything. Back when he met Oliver, he seemed a little lost. It was easy now to see why and it was one of the reasons he wanted Oliver to have a solid relationship. Hearing about the transfer, Hal called in a favour from the one person he knew in Star City.

However, there was more to calling Cora than that. "I was hoping that your snarkiness would cancel out and you'd find it yourselves to smile longer than five seconds." It even happened, much to Hal's surprise and satisfaction. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, things fell apart. A valid reason, but it still felt sudden. "Have to admit, I thought I hit the jackpot with you two."

There was disappointment throughout Hal's expression, and Oliver almost wanted to tell him how true that idea was, of how small the world had been for them to find each other. "I can't blame her for wanting anonymity," was the best he could say and besides, Oliver couldn't blame Hal either because, "Otherwise... you did."

In all the time he knew Oliver as Roy Connor, there has been some rough times, but right now, Hal knew this hurt just as much. Maybe even more, as Roy... Oliver... didn't matter the name, the man hid plenty of things behind a simple smirk. "Damn. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Oliver replied, knowing it was something he likely couldn't change. "Some things just aren't meant to be."

"Well," Hal said, clapping his hands together to go along with the switch in conversation. "The way I see it, you owe me about a hundred beers." Looking around the office again, he couldn't help but shake his head. "You're loaded man, and you let me pay."

Grabbing his coat, Oliver smirked. Hal had timed his visit well, as it was close to the end of the day, and his research could wait until tomorrow. "How about we start with one?"

"That I'll take."

**~0~**

It had been a crazy night out, and Hal had gone back to his usual ways of flirting with everything that walked. Oliver sipped his drink slowly, as the night seemed to be like the others. But as he looked up, he noticed another lonely face in the crowd. One he barely recognized.

Her hair falling to her shoulders, it just barely showed her face as she swirled the drink in her hand. Gone was the light in her eyes that Oliver had seen before, replaced by frustration and sadness. She cleaned up well, but it was quite a shift in appearance from their last meeting.

Downing the rest of his drink, Oliver realized he should probably say hi. He got up from his seat and headed over to the couch she was sitting at. Even as he got closer, she never looked up, which is why Oliver cleared his throat to get her attention. "Hey."

Emily looked up, rolling her eyes upon seeing Oliver. How fitting that out of everyone she ran into tonight... it was him. Initially, she thought she'd play dumb, hoping Oliver wouldn't remember the one time they met, but she shook that idea off, knowing the effort would be futile. "If you're looking for information... I'm afraid that I'm not much help." She downed the rest of her glass, slamming it down on the table. It didn't help.

Oliver sat down next to her the couch, leaning back as he stared out into the packed bar. "Why's that?"

Shaking her head, Emily finally faced Oliver. "Let just say that I'm not Chloe's favourite person right now either."

Oliver waited a few moments, but not once did the woman try to cover her tracks. But she had spoken Chloe's name with ease, with a straight face, looking straight at him. The problem was that Oliver wasn't sure if she had meant to tell him that she knew about Chloe, or if it was just a slip of the tongue. So he played it safely. "What happened?"

"Stupid disagreement," Emily replied, completely unaware of her slip-up, as the alcohol seemed be doing its job. All she could think about was the conversation she had shared with Chloe earlier this week.

The disadvantage of lying about being comfortable with Chloe's decision was that it was hypocritical for Emily to tell her to change her life, to go for it. The man hunt was done, the press clippings had stopped; she could have gone home last year. Emily knew this, yet she always insisted on staying in Star City, not wanting to face her family ever again. That life, as far as she was concerned, was done.

But Chloe accused her of being as afraid as she was of stepping out with Oliver, and no matter how different their situations were, Chloe was right. But Emily didn't see that until Chloe stormed out of her apartment, slamming the door on her way. She supposed that it didn't hurt that Chloe figured out that Emily knew about Oliver's plans to come out too.

Sighing as she titled her head against the couch, her eyes looking up at the ceiling. "It's my fault, but... it still sucks."

Watching her lean her head further back to get the waitress' attention and order another drink, Oliver couldn't help but wonder if he was involved in all this. It seemed like Emily knew more than she was letting on. "Seems like an extreme reaction for a barista-regular friendship."

Emily realized that she should probably get a grip on herself. Things weren't really _that _bad, it was just frustrating more than anything. "It is, but Cora and I... we talk a lot." She knew Oliver wanted to know more, but she sat up properly, trying to explain her sudden change in sentence. "Sorry for the vagueness, but as happy as she was with you, our story is... complicated to say the least."

For a while, they sat there in silence, not even looking towards each other as everyone around them had continued about their business. Eventually, Oliver couldn't help but ask, "Do you think that we could have worked out?"

"Yeah," she replied honestly. "You brought something out of her that no one else has."

"What's that?"

"Optimism." It was an odd word choice, Emily knew that, but it was the one that fit the best. With Oliver, Chloe saw the good in her life, instead of focusing on the bad around her. There was light in her eyes, and she smiled a lot more. Just because she momentarily lost sight of that didn't mean it couldn't be fixed, she just wasn't sure how.

The waitress came by with her drink, so Emily paid her, making sure to sip this one instead of throwing it back like the others. "This is going to sound crazy coming from a tipsy barista but... don't completely close the door."

She noticed Oliver's eyes widen at her admission, and Emily knew it wasn't her place. But after everything, she just didn't care. Of everything that was messed up in her life, one thing wasn't. "My boyfriend… he got this promotion and I thought that he'd leave me behind." Emily was happy for Vic, but with higher exposure, the more afraid she was of the fact that she'd be in the limelight or that they'd drift apart. "Instead, he made time for me... made sure I knew how much I meant to him."

It's why she saw hope in Chloe and Oliver. The story may be different, Oliver's profile may be ten-fold of Victor's, but they were both stronger people. They were both people could handle the pressure thrust upon them. With a smile, she said, "It can't compare, but... it can work."

Oliver had sat back, listening as Emily finally felt comfortable talking with him. He acknowledged the similarities in their stories with a nod, but Chloe had made her choice. "Yeah, but what real chance do we have now?"

"Holding onto hope is never a wasted venture." Sighing, she threw caution in the wind and downed the drink again. She wasn't normally like this, drinking alcohol like coffee, but life was supposed to get easier. "I mean, you guys have gone through everything in life and somehow miraculously found each other." Lifting her glass, forgetting it was empty, she shut her eyes when she felt no liquid coming towards her mouth. Tipping it away from her, she was still looking at it when she added, "If that isn't serendipity, I don't know what is."

There it was again. The name could have just been a slip, but this felt like more to Oliver. "How much had Cora had told you about me?"

The glass hit the table, and for another sentence, Emily kept her eyes there. "You were the one who got away." Feeling her phone buzz, Emily pulled it out of her purse. Seeing the text from Victor, she knew she had to wrap this up. "A tumultuous relationship to say the least, but out of the relationships she had… you were the one she wanted to work out."

She stood up, grabbing her purse and took a deep breath. There was a large chance that this was the last time she was going to see him under the circumstances. Whether things got more complicated or easier, Emily didn't know, but she did know this: life wasn't going to be the same. Finally looking at Oliver, taking in the confusion in his face, not fully aware of what she had admitted to him, Emily knew she had to walk away. She did, as a quick grin was the only gesture she gave Oliver, as goodbye seemed like an inadequate word now.

He grinned back, but within a few steps, he noticed Emily struggle with her balance. "You're not driving, are you?" The last thing he wanted was to see a confidante of Chloe's get hurt, even if things were strained right now.

But she was quick to shake her head, turning her head to show that she appreciated the sentiment. "My boyfriend's coming to pick me up. I'm angry at myself, but I'm not that stupid."

Another stumble as she turned around got Oliver to bolt up, grabbing her hand to keep her from falling. "Do you want me to –"

Feeling her cheeks warm up out of embarrassment, Emily tapped Oliver's hand, feeling him release her. She found her balance, knowing she didn't have to get far, but it was very likely she'd regret the last drink. "No Oliver, but thanks." Testing a couple steps forward, she seemed okay, so she kept going. But not before she turned her head to smile at Oliver. "Enjoy your night… and thanks."

Oliver watched intently, her footing much improved as she reached the door. She got into a car parked in front of her free will, so he could only hope that she would be alright.

So Oliver went back to his seat prior to joining Emily and he ordered a drink. However, once he got it, the alcohol seemed to have less appeal.

Chloe was more than willing to admit that she could tell Emily everything and that she had help in the past. Emily had just indirectly told him that she knew about Chloe being alive and that they had gone through everything. It may have been the alcohol talking, but Oliver had a feeling that the barista was right, that she had a more complicated story than he could have ever imagined.


	11. Part 11

**Part 11**

It was a place she thought that she would never step foot in again, and yet, this company was part of her life for so long. Nights were spent pouring over books, going through details. Initially it was boring to her, but she learned to get used to a life in business.

It was only the second time Lois had been in the Star City office as even after Chloe died, Oliver maintained his presence in Kansas. Years had gone by, but somehow, nothing had changed. Tess had been in charge but the pictures, the paint, the furniture, it was all the same.

It was like walking back through years of memories just by staring at one.

The door opened, so she turned around to see Oliver walking in. He looked different, but the look on his face still showed one of pain. He was decent at hiding it, but Lois knew him well enough to see what he was really feeling. Trying to lighten the mood, as the reason she was here wasn't exactly sunshine and roses either, she smirked. "You know, I didn't believe it when I first read it in the papers. I thought it was fake... all of it."

Oliver pursed his lips. "I can't say I blame you; it is quite the tale." He had seen Lois in the papers but actually seeing her now, it was harder than he thought. Especially considering what he knew about her own flesh and blood. Fortunately, he was quickly distracted by the sparkle on her left hand, so he pointed towards it. "Congratulations, by the way. I really do hope for your sake Clark Luthor is the man the papers claim."

Lois nodded, fiddling with the ring on her hand. "I promise you Oliver, he is."

He would have to take her word on that, but noticing the folder in Lois' other hand, Oliver sighed. There was work that had to be done, no point talking around it. "So where do I sign?"

Lois pulled up the folder, opening the cover to show the annulment papers. "I've highlighted them in yellow." She put it on the desk, tracing her fingers on the top. It was hard to be engaged to someone else if Lois was still married, so this had to happen, but it wasn't the way she hoped to greet Oliver.

"Well, I'll take care of this now so I don't have to bother you more than I have to," Oliver replied as he rounded the desk.

Surprised at the flat tone of his voice, not to mention the speed he was signing the papers, Lois tried to reassure him, "Come on Oliver, our relationship wasn't that bad."

Oliver scoffed lightly. "Our marriage was." Lois believed in him, which meant a lot, more than he ever expressed, but aside from that, there was emptiness in their relationship. There was no lack of passion, but eventually, when the spark died, they realized there wasn't much left.

Lois thought about a rebuttal, but she held back. "It was, wasn't it?" Placing her hand over Oliver's after he dropped the pen, she added, "But I am glad to see you now."

"Thanks, it's good to see you too," he replied with as much of a smile that he could manage under the circumstances. After closing the folder, Oliver peered up at Lois. "Are you staying in town for Friday night?"

Lois nodded again. "Even if your gala wasn't a PR gold mine... we wouldn't miss it." She reached across the desk to grab the papers, but as she brought her arm back, her elbow hit a frame, causing it to fall off the desk, the glass cracking once it hit the ground.

"I'm so sorry," Lois said, quickly jumping into action as she dropped the folder on the desk again to pick up the few shards of glass.

Oliver was out of his chair just as fast. "Don't worry about it," he said as he lifted her hands away. "I'm sure you have more important things to do."

But Lois pulled her hands from him just as fast. "This will take two minutes to clean up, I can handle it Oliver."

He wanted to stop her, but it was already too late, as Lois lifted the entire frame, both photos slipping out. It didn't take long for Lois to see her cousin's face in the second photo. "You never got over her, did you?"

She knew it was a rhetorical question, but it had been ages since she had seen her cousin's smiling face, so Lois couldn't hold back the single tear that wanted to fall. However, after she put down the frame and the photo of his parents, another emotion came to the surface as Lois noticed the photo's other half.

Lois stood up quickly as she took in the details. Peering up at Oliver, taking in few changes he had made to his appearance, the hair, the eyes. They were the same details she saw in the photo in front of her.

It couldn't be possible. It just couldn't.

But Oliver was alive, and Lois knew Chloe, even if their relationship had started to strain. Her head shook slightly as suddenly, Lois knew why Oliver wanted to push her away from cleaning up.

"When was this taken?"

Oliver's mouth gaped open and eventually he said the only thing he could. "It doesn't matter."

She watched as he walked to the window silently. If that wasn't a tell, Lois wasn't sure what was. Unfortunately for him, Lois wasn't about to back off. "If my cousin is alive, you bet it matters."

He said nothing, so Lois glanced at the photo again. They were happy whenever this was taken, which reminded Lois of how she always heard joy in Chloe's voice when she called while they were together. "My cousin has always been a fighter," she said softly, glad that Chloe had somehow found a way to survive after all. At this point, Lois could only imagine what she must have felt when she saw the news that Oliver had... disappeared, not to mention the satisfaction upon finding him again. "So have you. I guess my real question is why would you give up after everything you went through?"

Oliver smirked, watching his reflection in the glass. There was no point arguing with Lois and the truth was probably going to be the only thing that would stop her. "Short version... losing me was enough for her once, and she won't let it happen again."

There was more to this, Lois knew that for sure, but she wasn't about to argue with Oliver. This was a pointless battle, but there was one thing Lois wanted more than anything. "I want to see her."

"Lois, I –"

"_Don't _Lois me," she replied harshly. She had expected some form of denial or push back, but he wasn't going to keep Lois from seeing her cousin. "You owe me this."

The sad part was that Lois was right. After all the days that he spent, the downward spirals she had saved him from, he did owe her. But he didn't know what to tell her. The only thing he had was her alias; he had no idea where Chloe lived in Star City or if she even had an office with the Register. However, there was one person who could tell Lois more information.

"She's a regular at an off-campus coffee shop." Leaning down, Oliver wrote the address down, ripping the sheet off the pad to give to Lois. "Chloe hasn't changed much, but talk to Emily if you need anything. She's a friend."

Staring at the address, Lois felt a smile come across her face, but it fell slightly as she looked back up at Oliver. "Thank you Oliver," she said genuinely before leaving his office, hoping to find more answers.

**~0~**

Here she was, the location of the lead Oliver had informed Lois of Chloe's continued existence. It wasn't much, as he very likely knew where Chloe was living, but Lois was always up for a challenge and she knew it wouldn't be long before she located her cousin.

The clue itself was fitting, as her cousin did enjoy her coffee. While people ignored her and let her down, coffee became her refuge, her comfort in the shaky life she had been given.

Hearing the bell chime, Lois looked around the bustling cafe. She began to regret coming during the lunch rush, but she had a mission and couldn't afford to waste any time looking around. So Lois worked her way through the crowd, looking at the name tags on the employees, but it didn't match the name she was looking for.

Sighing, Lois slipped her way back through, ignoring the yells she was receiving for temporarily cutting in line. She was tempted to yell at them, tell them to take a chill pill, but she held back. This wasn't the time to get into pointless squabbles. Lois was essentially disowned by the last family she had when Clark and her started going out, so she really wanted to see Chloe again, to have some sort of family in her life again.

And that's when Lois saw her. Not Chloe, unfortunately, but another cafe worker cleaning up tables without any care in the world. The name tag wasn't clear from her angle, but Lois had to try. Approaching her from behind, Lois said, "Emily?"

Emily stilled, recognizing the voice from behind her, but she didn't let it show for too long. Instead, she collected her tray and turned around. "That's me. What can I do for you?"

"Have you seen her?" Lois hated the fact that the only picture that she had was from six years ago, but it would have to do in this case. She didn't have the heart to take the photo from Oliver's office.

Playing dumb, Emily took a couple seconds, even made a couple faces to waste time. Looking back at Lois, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't."

She was quite convincing; Lois would give her that much, but Oliver had given Lois her name for a reason and she had every intention of figuring out why. Allowing Emily to have a few steps of victory, Lois stated confidently, "I have on very good authority that's not true."

Emily turned her head over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes at the other woman. Fortunately for her, Emily had played this game for people who had less genuine intentions that Lois. "Who? I'm curious." The answer was clear, but it was also an answer Lois couldn't admit aloud and Emily knew it. "Admit it, you're fishing at the only clue you have."

Lois caught the scoff in her tone as Emily took off again, but Lois quickly cut off her path, cutting to the chase this time. "You're protecting her."

"Believe what you want, Lois Lane, but I'm not going to tell you anything." After her last less than stellar encounter with Oliver, Emily wanted to start distancing herself from people in Chloe's life. However, things weren't that easy, a fact reminded to her as she noticed Victor entering the cafe. It was only a matter of time before Oliver figured out who Emily was to Victor, he was his boss after all. Knowing her identity would make things more difficult, more awkward, as years worth of blanks would be filled. And there was no way to avoid it because Emily wasn't going to leave him over something like this.

"Excuse me for a minute," she told Lois, surprised when the woman just nodded and took a seat at an open table. Approaching Victor carefully, Emily whispered as she walked by him, "The usual?"

"Yeah." Turning his head to look subtly at Lois, Victor couldn't help but ask, "What is she..."

Emily shrugged, not wanting Victor to finish that thought. "You know what to do." Lois being this close likely meant that it was only a matter of time before she found Chloe and they both owed her enough to warn her of what was ahead.

So Victor just nodded, taking his coffee, all while ignoring the people around him who were there first. "See you later."

Emily smirked and then turned her head to catch the eye of Lois, who gave her a knowing look before Emily left the counter. "On the house," she said, placing the coffee on the table.

Lois took it, even sipped it before asking, "Boyfriend?"

"Just a regular," Emily lied, figuring that the truth will come out soon enough, but for now, she had to be cautious. "You can try to figure me out Ms Lane, but it's not going to work."

"Look, she's my cousin." Lois placed the photo back on the table, getting momentarily lost in the happiness in her cousin's expression. If nothing else, all she wanted to know was if Chloe was okay. "I thought she was dead."

Then again, if she would give up Oliver, Lois wanted to know why and to help Chloe see her mistake. Sure, when Chloe first told her that Oliver and her were friends, Lois scoffed. But Oliver proved that he was a good guy to her, even to Lois... but for him, it was always Chloe.

Biting her lip, Emily felt guilty now. She could see the worry in Lois' eyes and despite the need to be firm, she felt herself slipping again. "It looks legit, and I want to believe you... but you have to understand." Lois had already figured out that Emily was protecting Chloe, so Emily saw no point in lying about that much. "Do yourself a favour, forget all this."

Lois shook her head, pulling her chair out to meet the other woman's eyes. "Then you don't know me at all."

But Emily never broke the stare. "I know more than you think," she stated, knowing Lois would get the implication.

"Fine," Lois lied. What this Emily didn't know was that Lois had another plan and if she worked fast, she might just be able to catch up to him.

**~0~**

It had taken awhile, but it seemed like Chloe was finally back into her writing groove. Her latest piece was just about finished, all she needed was a decent closing. Tapping her fingers against the desk, she almost missed the sound of the knocking on the door, but on the third knock, Chloe shook out of her trance. Standing slowly, she headed to the door, knowing who her visitor was before she even opened the door. "Victor, hey."

Noticing her gesturing for him to enter, Victor was quick to oblige, but decided to get straight to the point. "Lois is on your trail."

Chloe's eyes widened, but her surprise faded fast, as Lois must have figured it out through Oliver somehow. If there was one thing she knew about her cousin, it was her persuasive nature. However, she still needed a decent lead to go on... and she wasn't finding that from Queen Industries or from Victor. "She's seen Em?"

Victor nodded. "I don't know much more than that... but she is covering for you as long as she can."

Chloe had expected as much, for despite their disagreement, they would always take care of each other. However, that didn't explain why Lois was in Star City so early. "I thought the gala wasn't for another couple of days."

"Annulment paperwork," Victor replied, seeing her expression fall further as she had clearly forgotten about that. Stepping closer to Chloe, he asked, "How are you?"

Chloe shrugged it off, walking back towards her desk. After considering telling Vic about her progress, she decided against it and told him the truth. Things were better, however, there was still the fact Chloe was, "Getting used to the feeling again."

All this time, Victor had avoided the conversation with Chloe, seeing Emily take the fall for everything. He knew they would find a way to patch things up, but Victor couldn't take the silent approach anymore. "Why not come clean? It worked with me."

She knew that, knew the way the press reacted to the infamous lab subject being hired at Queen Industries, his fast rise to the VP chair, yet Victor handled it with confidence and class. He knew the sacrifice and he took it when Emily and Chloe asked him. Yet in the end, they always knew it was his choice, not theirs to make.

However, she avoided what he wanted to hear, settling on, "I was never supposed to be more than someone to help save Queen Industries. As far as I'm concerned, I fulfilled my role in Oliver's life."

"That's a bunch of crap and you know it," Victor deadpanned, watching as Chloe's head popped up. Seeing that he had her full attention, he pressed on, "What role do you think Em was supposed to play in mine? Because I sure thought she had fulfilled it too." However, Victor knew he couldn't make this about him anymore. If Chloe was going to make this decision, she had to work through each insecurity and break through it. "But forget all that, because I think there's more to this than I think even you realize."

"I can't go back on this now, not after I've hurt him like this."

"If you truly believe that... then you underestimate how much Oliver loves you." It was easy to see the demeanour switch in his boss since the fallout. Victor wanted to reach out, to say he knew everything, but for now, everything had to be approached with an air of caution. Because if things changed too fast, they risked an even worse aftermath.

Rolling her eyes, Chloe admitted. "That's what Emily said." It was her fallback line, the reason she was so insistent on Chloe coming forward. It was something she knew all too well, but Oliver stood there and... it seemed like the fight was gone.

Victor wasn't about to broach that subject, but now that Chloe had, he risked asking, "Can you two make up anytime soon? I really prefer not being the go-between... and she wasn't the only one who knew about this."

"You're different because..." Chloe paused, realizing that Victor was right. Maybe she had been a little tough on Em, but it wasn't like her comments didn't have merit. "You and I both know that she needs to –"

"Yeah, she does. But she's not alone," Victor interjecting knowing exactly where Chloe was going with that statement. "I don't know the full details, but I'm almost willing to bet you both pushed the limits here." After all, it's a lot easier to tell someone to do something than to personally commit to an action. "In the end, it's about taking one of two choices. Stay with what you're comfortable with, or venture into something new. Oliver was never part of your plan then, just like becoming Chloe Sullivan again isn't now."

He sighed, knowing it wasn't that simple, but he knew her decision was something she hadn't faced properly. "I'm not telling you how to live your life... I'm asking you to think about the night you walked away." With the stubbornness of both their characters, Victor figured that at least one of them was misunderstood along the way. "Then think about how the last month has been. If you think _this _is what you want, then that's fine. But I think all this time, you've been living under assumptions instead of facts."

Chloe appreciated his words and the concessions he took, and she wanted to believe him. Unfortunately, even if he was right, that didn't fix anything. "What about it?"

"You need to face the facts and see what happens. Because you're wrong if you think it's too late to change your mind," Victor said before reaching into his jacket pocket, slipping a card onto the table. Without a further word, he left the apartment, hoping that this would help Chloe see her situation in a new light.


	12. Part 12

**Part 12**

"Send him in," Oliver said calmly. In fact, he couldn't believe that he was even initiating this.

But one look at the man and Oliver could see the changes in his demeanour. For years, from boarding school to his Ultraman days, there was this sneer on his face. But now, his face had calmer features, even a small amount of vulnerability, something Oliver thought was impossible for the face of Clark Luthor. However, if he had learned anything, it was that time was capable of changing anything.

Hearing the door shut, Clark looked momentarily over his shoulder before he looked back at Oliver. "I was surprised by your call." More than anything, he was surprised Oliver was alive. Clark may not have been proud of his past actions, but he always thought he was thorough. It didn't take much to determine who had helped Oliver, but Clark was grateful Tess had done it. The unnecessary deaths he had caused were a heavy burden to carry these last few years and the fact Oliver was willing to extend an olive branch was more than Clark could ask for.

"You've changed...or at least Lois is convinced of it." Opening the drawer, Oliver slipped the box containing his kryptonite ring into a drawer. It was hard trying to trust a man who caused him so much pain, but that was exactly what Oliver had to do. He couldn't avoid Clark Luthor any more now than he could back then.

However, there was more to Oliver calling him than that. "That, and Kent told me something I'll never forget." Laughing under his breath, he recited the words. "We... save the world together. Even if we hated each other for most of our lives."

"Sounded ridiculous back then didn't it?" Clark remembered that day, when he was sent back to his world, forced to be exposed to kryptonite, forced to reveal his weakness to one of his sworn enemies. It was a day both of their worlds changed, shown in the deep anger in both men's faces back then.

"There's a part of me that still thinks I shouldn't trust you." After all, Oliver had Clark in his control that day, but he let him go, essentially calling that encounter as a threat to his existence. Clark would follow it up with a threat with his own, followed by Oliver's public announcement, thinking it would save other lives along with his own.

Except Clark found a loophole and exploited it, executing a plan to take away Oliver's life just like he had done Chloe's. "Can't say I blame you. I did plenty of bad things to you."

Oliver waited a second, but he realized that this was as close to an apology as he was going to get. "It happened. A couple of years ago, I would have punched you with kryptonite without hesitation." Standing square to the man, Oliver met Clark's eyes. "But I prefer to put that behind us, maybe try and make this world a better place."

Clark nodded. "I'd like nothing more."

"To a better future then," Oliver said, holding his hand out to formalize the truce, noticing how Clark didn't wait long to shake it firmly.

**~0~**

After Clark left, Lois was left to figure out just how to approach Chloe. She wasn't sure how to do it, as stalking the coffee shop felt a little out of the question after the events earlier in the week, but it was a start. Flinging her purse over her shoulder, she barged towards her hotel door, only to be completely caught off-guard by Chloe standing there, about to knock.

"Hi," Chloe said weakly, unsure of how else to break years of silence between them. This visit wasn't going to be easy, but it had to happen.

Lois bit her lip to hold in her happiness in seeing Chloe there, but it didn't work as she threw herself towards her cousin, her hug not unexpected by Chloe. "I missed you," Lois said softly, "And I'm glad your friend can deliver a message."

Chloe closed her eyes, knowing that wasn't exactly what happened, but once Victor told her, she had to come here. "Lois, I can't stay long, but... you deserved an explanation." Feeling her cousin back away, Chloe entered the room, heard the door close. All those years, Chloe envisioned how she would possibly reunite with Lois one day, but the atmosphere around her felt different, even more distant than she thought.

"Go for it," Lois said, her eyes still on the door. There were so many questions, ones that she wasn't sure would ever be answered, and now that Chloe was here, those questions didn't matter as much. Instead... all she could think of was the decision she had most recently made. "Because you're killing him."

It was a low blow, but it wasn't just Oliver that concerned Lois; this affected everyone around her. Lois knew now she had to get through to her because if this went on any longer... Chloe would leave for good.

Stopping in her place, Chloe took a deep breath to compensate for the one she lost. Of all places, she hadn't expected that particular comment to come just yet. "Lois, that's not fair. It's not easy for me either."

Turning around, Lois shrugged casually and crossed her arms, knowing that, which made this even more frustrating. But she kept her cool, settling on figuring out the root of this problem, one question at a time. "I believe you, which is why I have to ask...what do you have to gain by staying Cora Sutherland?"

Chloe's eyes widened, as once again, Lois had caught her off-guard. "How did you—?"

Lois could see what Chloe was doing, so she quickly filled in that blanks. "No one told me anything, but once Oliver said you were alive, I went straight to the Register. You might have changed your name, but I can always spot your writing style."

It was good to see how determined her cousin still was, but Chloe knew she couldn't convince Lois of her position as stubborness ran in the family. So she stuck with simplicity. "I can't just... give up what I've built."

That was stop one on the cliche train as far as Lois was concerned, causing her to roll her eyes. Chloe was crazy if she thought her job was the whole reason that she chickened out. "Last I checked, Chloe Sullivan had a pretty awesome resume too. And yeah, you'll get threats, but you got threats before and they never stopped you." Holding up her left hand, showing her ring to Chloe, Lois added, "I'm engaged to the former public enemy number one, and I'm still here."

Not wanting to, Chloe scoffed before saying, "Yeah, well, no one would dare to mess with Clark Luthor."

Lois' expression softened as she brought her hand back to her side. This was one particular conversation that she knew wouldn't be the easiest with Chloe. It took a long time for Lois to forgive Clark for what he did to Chloe, but eventually, she did. "He's not like that anymore."

What Lois didn't realize was that Chloe understood that, as she knew that Lois wouldn't end up with him without a good reason. Even if they had become estranged to an extent, Lois was a strong woman who wouldn't have settled for anyone less than she was worth. But that didn't change the fact that Clark was still a powerful man and with that came fear. "Reputation is everything. Even if he's changed, there's still that stigma."

That fact was something Lois lived with every day, so she knew that. However, she had to applaud her cousin's attempt at deflection. It almost worked. "This isn't about Clark. This is the person that you gave up everything for. The person you risked your cover for." Narrowing her eyes, Lois was trying to understand what could have happened to have them reunite, only to lose each other like this. In dictionary terms, it was voluntary, but talking to them, it felt anything but. "Why blow everything if you didn't want to risk it?"

That was a valid point, or rather, _another _valid point. Chloe had lived all this time with an argument, but with every question during the past couple of days, it was fading. At this point, Chloe was running out of reasons, as she weakly said, "That was different."

Lois caught the hesitation in Chloe's mannerisms, which likely meant something had finally made a dent in her armour. "Because his name was different."

"Yes?" Chloe said, but she didn't really believe it, so she corrected herself. "Not really."

Approaching Chloe slowly, Lois reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "You're scared I get it. But whether you get knocked out by a sniper or run over by a bus, you could die tomorrow. Isn't that why you live for the here and now?"

For some reason, Chloe felt herself chuckle under her breath. It felt like such a simple concept, but her mind was spinning. Stepping away, Chloe walked around her cousin slowly. "Lois, I have to go."

"Go where?" Lois asked, her back to Chloe, but she still heard her cousin stop walking away from her. "You had to stay away from him before and let me guess, it wasn't the happiest time in your life."

"I missed him every day," Chloe admitted, her back turned as well. Memories of working in a dark room, an abandoned house, all to get back to Oliver flooded her mind. Back then, that was her life. "But so what?"

"Can you do it again?" Lois finally turned around, not surprised to still see Chloe hadn't moved yet. Her voice cracking slightly as she remembered her own search after Chloe went off-grid. "Can you deal with that pain, that empty feeling again?"

Her mouth gaping open as she felt lost for words, Chloe shook her head slightly. "How do you know if that's what I felt?"

Lois sighed. "It's what you feel when you lose someone you love. It's what Oliver and I both felt when we lost you." That day they met, at the cemetery, was still one of the toughest in Lois' life. She always knew that Chloe was a risk-taker, but Lois always thought Chloe would avoid the grim reaper. It would be years until her theory was proved right, but in the interim, there were plenty of heartbreaking moments.

Tired of waiting, Lois walked over to her cousin, trying to find a way to meet her eyes. "I looked for you for years, cuz. _We _looked for you." Lois couldn't recall why they stopped looking, maybe because it was unrealistic to hope for so long, but in hindsight, Lois wished she would have pressed on. "I thought I lost my favourite cousin for good. I'm not losing you again unless you give me a damn good reason."

**~0~**

_So this was home. A twisted word for an underground bunker... but she was alive. Chloe should be grateful, she shouldn't ask questions, but that wasn't in her nature._

_Getting off her bed, Chloe returned to the 'common' area, where Lex was putting on his coat again, about to leave. "Why did you do it Lex?" _

_Lex met her eyes only momentarily before replying, "You're a smart girl, figure it out."_

_Seeing Lex grab the doorknob, Chloe quickened her pace to where Lex was standing."You're not leaving here until you give me an explanation." Chloe knew that she was in no position to say anything of that nature, but seeing him pause, she knew there was at least a chance to know the truth. "Your family hates me, and last I checked you –"_

_"Exactly," Lex interjected, turning around to see the petite blonde standing inches away from him. He never did like her, but he did respect her tenacity. It was something he planned on using to its full extent because she owed him now._

_However, Chloe was just confused, her eyes narrowing as Lex's words didn't sink in easily. "I don't understand."_

_Fortunately for her, Lex was quick to clarify, "Let's just say it's a kill-or-be-killed situation in the Luthor house. I can handle Tess, but Clark... I can't always be looking for a way to bring him down. That's where you come in."_

_Looking away from Chloe, Lex admired the set-up of the place. The software had cracked through the Luthor system once before, and with Chloe's skills, Lex was confident that he could find a solution to ending the family drama in his favour._

_"Why should I help you?"_

_Lex sighed, reaching into his coat to grab his gun. Confidently pointing it at Chloe, he shrugged. "Because no one will miss you if you die again." Seeing the shock in her eyes, Lex laughed, pulling the gun back up. He never intended to shoot her, but the message was clear._

_However, that wasn't the way he wanted her to help. Something told Lex that she would help him regardless. "But the truth is I'm willing to let you live, let you go back to your life if you're successful." There would always be animosity between them, but their mutual respect was more than what Lex had for his family. This was true despite the company she kept. "Even if it means I'm making _him_ happy... I am a man of my word."_

_"As am I," Chloe immediately replied, satisfied by his answer. She knew that he wanted her for her skills, but the reason why suited her. Turning around to head towards the computers, Chloe added, "I'll get started right away."_

_Lex watched as she sat down, firing up the system. This should have been his cue to leave, but he couldn't resist asking, "What does a woman like you see in Oliver Queen?"_

_Chloe smirked as she kept typing. "Something much deeper than you see at the surface level." She didn't expect Lex of all people to understand, because she was pretty confident that no one knew Oliver like she did. "But the short answer... he listens to me, respects me. Sometimes that's enough."_

_"And you know if you go back to him that your life would never be the same."_

_Her multi-tasking began to waver, so Chloe turned her chair around. "I watched the news Lex, I know." Rising from her chair, Chloe felt herself shrug. "But it's a life isn't it? And if I've learned anything, it's not about who you are in front of the cameras, it about who you are when it's just you and the people you love."_

**~0~**

_ "After awhile, you stop counting the days that pass. By now, you'd think I'd move on, but... they weren't her."_

**~0~**

_"At some point, we should let go, shouldn't we?"_

_Every fibre of Chloe's being wanted to say yes, but her breathing was shallow at best and words couldn't come out. It didn't help when he turned again, fully this time, and started walking towards her._

**~0~**

_"You really haven't changed at all," he said, pulling her back towards him so that her back rested against his chest. "Always fighting against what you want. Badly."_

**~0~**

"I'm waiting," Lois said, her foot tapping, her eyes stern as Chloe stood there dumfounded. "Don't even think that anything you've said previously counts, because all that's fear talking, not my cousin." "Because it's clear you still love him."

"Of course," Chloe replied almost unconsciously. Pulling out the card Victor had left behind, Chloe read it again, surprised by the move he had made. He knew the decision she had made, but he placed that card down and from that moment, she started doubting everything.

"Then what's stopping you from getting him back?" Lois waited, but her cousin seemed to be in a trance, as whatever she was holding had grabbed her attention. "Spit it out, cuz."

The more she thought about it, Chloe couldn't answer Lois' question. She walked away, she stayed away from him, but the reason why... it never seemed clear. There were throw-away excuses that Chloe hid behind, but as she tore them aside, there was nothing left.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Chloe finally answered, "There's something I need to do."

Smirking slightly, Lois noticed the change in her cousin's expression. "Then I'm coming with you."


	13. Part 13

**Part 13**

If he had to be honest, the event would always have a sense of bittersweet to it. It signified a great humanitarian effort for the company and a chance for it to retain its former glory. Considering the long road Clark Luthor took in refining LuthorCorp's way, not to mention his full support, it seemed more possible that Queen Industries would survive. Fitting, because her first selfless gift to him required Oliver to step up, save his company.

But instead of showing up to the event on time, Victor had offered a happy hour of sorts. So Oliver started his car and drove to his apartment complex, more than willing to throw back a couple of shots before dealing with the same questions he had been dealing with all week. Hal had offered the same courtesy, but Victor was better company in this instance because the point was just to take the edge off.

He knocked on the door and waited the couple of seconds before Victor answered. "Hey," he said calmly. "Come on in."

Oliver nodded, slipping off his shoes just inside the doorway. Looking around, he quickly realized that Victor clearly didn't throw his money around. The apartment, while there was nothing wrong with it; it was a modest size for his pay grade.

Victor noticed the staring and quickly put two-and-two together. "After living on the streets, this is pretty much the lap of luxury." Neither he nor Emily were materialistic people anyway, because after you live with practically nothing, the basics were all they needed. Sure, their apartment was still in a nice part of town, but that was the consequence of Victor's title, nothing more.

"It's nice," Oliver remarked sincerely, as Victor's impeccable eye for detail was noted in every facet of the apartment. Taking in the small details of the place, Oliver walked in the living room and he immediately noticed a bouquet of lilies on the table. "Who's the lucky girl?"

Grateful Oliver wasn't facing him, Victor rolled his eyes. He had moved all the photos, all of her shoes, any possible sign of her living here... expect for the flowers he had bought for her birthday last week. "She's..."

His voice trailed, as words were completely failing him, but the knocking on the door seemed to bail him out. Rushing to the door, Victor found out that wasn't the case as he saw his girlfriend walk right past him into the apartment.

"I'm so glad I didn't miss you," Emily said. "Can you believe that I forgot my –" She froze in her spot as she finally looked up at their guest. "Key," she finished nonetheless, even though it was a pointless word.

But Oliver just stood there as a knowing grin framed his face. "Good to see you again." It seemed that he wouldn't need Victor's help with that lead after all. For the woman he was looking for, Chloe's partner, was right in front of him.

Emily bit her bottom lip, fighting the speechless feeling, albeit badly. Because what the heck was she supposed to say? Sorry didn't fit and it sure didn't fix him and Chloe.

So she took the high road, whispering, "I need some air," before rushing towards the balcony. It sounded silly, she knew that, but she was at such a loss at what to say that she hoped Oliver would give her a second to collect her thoughts.

Oliver did think about stopping her, as Emily had to know this was going to happen, but her let her go, as the facts were still settling in his own head. Pulling out the small business card from his jacket picket, he flapped it against his fingers. Staring at it, he couldn't believe that four letters had brought Oliver to the truth of Chloe's situation. She wasn't alone after all, and that Oliver could live with.

Tucking it back in his jacket, he looked up to see Victor standing across the room. "Are Chloe and her on better terms now?" Oliver asked, deciding not to step directly towards the elephant in the room.

Victor shrugged. "Shaky at best these days." He took a couple steps towards his boss, not proud of how things had transpired, but also knowing that this was probably for the best in the long term. "I'm sorry I lied to you, but—"

"She means a lot to you," Oliver interjected, knowing exactly where the younger man was going. "I get it."

Nodding slowly, Victor clarified, "She saved my life."

Oliver knew that feeling all too well. "I'm glad for you." He turned his head over the shoulder, questions buzzing in his head. This was going to be a big shock for Emily, but Oliver couldn't wait any longer. "But I need to talk with her."

Victor wasn't about to argue, all this was overdue anyway. "Take your time," he said, watching Oliver walk to the terrace. When the coast was clear, he looked over his shoulder, deliberating whether this made things more difficult or easier.

**~0~**

Emily felt like an idiot. Once she got outside, she fell on of their deck chairs and stared at the ground. She _knew _this was coming, and yeah, the timing was off, but she should have held her composure better. Counting the seconds that went by until she heard the inevitable opening of the terrace doors, once she heard the footsteps outside, she said honestly, "I don't know where to start."

That was okay, because Oliver did. "How about I start by saying that I knew _exactly _who you were before you walked in the door?" That particular question drew her attention as her head popped up.

But Emily shook her head soon afterwards, slightly in disbelief. "Is that so?"

"I was close to figuring everything out," Oliver confessed, as he had the resources to run a background check a while back, only to come up with a confused puzzle of a woman. "Victor was the only piece I hadn't anticipated." He really had to hand it to their team, they thought of everything.

They had set up everything, keeping an eye on the world around them, an impressive feat considering they were all people of interest. But what hit home the most was that, even from a distance, Chloe would ensure that Oliver and his company would survive.

Emily knew that Oliver was smart, but she had a hard time believing that he knew everything already. "Mind me asking how?"

Oliver didn't expect her to believe him right away, as her back story wasn't exactly normal. "For one, the night we met at the bar... you said Chloe's name."

"I did?" Emily knew she was out of it, but she knew better than to slip up like that. In fact, she had never betrayed the trust Chloe had shown her.

Seeing her widened eyes, Oliver narrowed his in response. "Do you have any idea what you said to me that night?"

Emily remembered most of that encounter because she wasn't that drunk yet, but as she really thought about what she told Oliver, her eyes closed, feeling almost embarrassed. "I... I totally gave myself away."

He noticed the pink hue on her cheeks as she turned her head away, but the way Oliver saw it, the only reason that happened was because Emily knew she could trust him. "But that only started my search... which went nowhere until I found this." Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out the familiar blue and grey business card again.

Emily's eyes widened again as she realized Oliver did know the truth. "Wow," she whispered, taking the card on her hands, shocked that one still existed after all this time.

Then again, Oliver was surprised to find it still in his office after all these years, but as he was about to throw it out, there was something that caught his eye. Echo Tech, the first word of which triggered something that Oliver hadn't thought about for a long time.

Despite LuthorCorp's attempt to cover up the hacking job Emily had done, a codename was released, and sure enough it was Echo. Back when Oliver first saw the business card, he never noticed the connection, but when he saw it again in his office yesterday, he thought there was a possibility that she was Chloe's partner. Another person protected by Lex who had reached out to help Oliver... and Victor too.

He heard Victor banter with her a few times at work and Oliver knew they were close to something before he had to disappear. So it was nice to see that they panned out, but Oliver had clearly underestimated Victor's involvement in the team, the extent of the plans they had executed.

Oliver had actually considered bringing Victor into the search, but instead, he did it secretly and found out that he had it backwards. He figured that the name on the card was the real one, but Evelyn Chambers died with the company two years ago. "Based on what I found, you went back to your birth name. Why?"

"A name isn't much, I didn't even pick it." She sighed, as her problems seemed so silly now. Her fight with Chloe, seeing how this whole thing panned out, it put her life in perspective and how things weren't as different as she thought. "But Victor risked becoming a test subject every day he stepped out that door. Yet every day... he came home to me."

She smirked, standing up to move closer to the railing. "For years, I didn't even have a name." While she was in hiding, pronouns covered the names Lex called Emily. "I created that alias to have _something _to call myself. But it wasn't me. Just like Roy Connor wasn't you."

Tapping her fingers against the paper, Emily shoved the card in her pocket, as it represented the past, a past Emily thought she had moved away from, but it turns out she holding on tighter than she thought. "I taught Victor to live for a second chance because he hadn't gotten it yet. He's teaching me to truly embrace the one I had." And now she could see that she still had a lot to learn.

Oliver sat back, noticing how Emily remained in her spot, staring out into the night. "I see why Chloe wanted to protect you." They could definitely relate to each other and considering the years they hid in plain sight, it was better to play it safe, even with him.

Emily smiled. "She's faithful to the people she cares about...and as much as I wanted her to tell you our secrets, I guess it doesn't matter anymore."

"Actually, it does matter," Oliver replied as he stood up. "If nothing else, it's nice to know more about you."

Emily nodded, as the feeling was mutual, even if she had never anticipated coming clean like this. "I meant everything I told you... even the stuff I didn't mean to say."

"I know."

Taking a deep breath, Emily decided to go for it, hoping her chance wouldn't backfire. "Chloe... she's—" Her voice was cut off by the noise of Oliver's phone ringing, so Emily shut her mouth, knowing this was probably the sign from the universe that she had done enough. "You should probably get that."

Oliver nodded, walking back towards the terrace doors, but he stopped to turn back to her. "Emily?"

Her head whipped in response. "Hmm?"

Flashing a smile, Oliver realized there was something he forgot to say. "Thank you for everything." For a second, he looked to the ground before adding, "And take care of her. She'll insist otherwise but—"

"Sure," Emily said, wanting to say that she would fix things, but she didn't want to give him any false hope. The single word was what he wanted, so she watched as Oliver picked up his phone, leaving her alone again.

_Well... that wasn't so bad. _

Now more than ever, Emily could see what Chloe saw in Oliver, as he really was an incredible listener, and he was a lot more understanding than she could have ever imagined.

Hearing the door open again, Emily sighed as she saw Victor join her on the terrace. Pushing herself off the railing, she walked to him, wrapping her arms around his neck before quickly kissing him. But afterwards, her smile fell and she rested her head against his chest. "This wasn't the way I wanted that to happen."

Victor rubbed his hands against her back, leaning his head down slightly. "Can't always control how things happen."

Emily knew that, and while the fallout was better than expected, there was one burning question on her mind. "Why was he here anyway?"

"I can explain that actually, but first, I need you to —"

"So far so good," a different voice called out, so Emily turned abruptly to see Lois coming onto the balcony.

Moving her eyes towards Victor again, Emily's eyes narrowed. "What is she doing here?"

However, before he could respond, Lois laughed lightly, pointing between the other two. "If you think I'm buying the 'regular' argument again, you're seriously mistaken." She walked over to one of the lounge chairs and leaned back. She figured they'd be out here a while and it was best to be comfortable.

"Wasn't planning on it," Emily replied slowly, moving her eyes back to her boyfriend expecting an explanation.

However, Victor just shrugged before admitting, "She recognized me."

"You honestly think that I wouldn't care about Oliver's company after we split?" Lois raised her eyebrows further to make her point, as what Emily didn't realize was that Victor gave her the 'in' she needed to pull this off. She was just lucky that he was willing to participate.

"Answer my question and I'll answer yours," Emily said, realizing what Lois said made a lot of sense. However, it didn't answer why she was here.

Sighing, Lois sat up on the chair. "I had to improvise to bring Oliver back inside your apartment, so I had Clark call him." Meeting Emily's eyes, she added, "Let's just say I didn't come alone," knowing the implication wouldn't be lost on the other woman.

Emily's eyes widened quickly as she momentarily looked into the apartment. No sign of anything yet, but it would be soon enough. Looking back at Vic, she asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't expecting you," Victor replied honestly. When a function night hit, Emily made herself scarce, or in the case of this job, she worked the graveyard shift. "I was just going to keep Oliver busy until they were finished, but then... you showed up."

Walking over to sit next to Lois, Emily chuckled under breath. "I got someone to cover my shift... because I wanted to knock some sense into Chloe, but I thought I'd get some back-up." Go figure the day she decides to do something about it, something was already in motion. Sighing, she leaned her head back against the chair. "I really hope this works."


	14. Part 14

**Part 14**

"Lois?" When there was no response, Chloe left the room, trying to find her cousin. She had finished what she had to do with Victor's computer, as she knew that his connection and software were more updated and secure than hers. Such are the perks of having Queen Industries maintaining their home technology. She almost couldn't believe she pulled this off in an afternoon, but now that she was done, there was somewhere they all had to be.

Stepping out into the hallway, Chloe continued to look around. But the apartment seemed empty, which was odd because Victor and Lois were here not that long ago. A couple strides further and she looked towards the main room, where her eyes met someone else's.

Oliver had just hung up the phone and looked up to see Chloe standing there. His eyes momentarily widened as he took in her appearance. "You look nice," he quipped, knowing it was an understatement, but it was easier to play it safe.

Slowly, Chloe cracked a smile. "Thanks." Looking down at the dress that Lois had picked out for her, Chloe couldn't help but feel that she just got set-up. After all, if Oliver was here, there was a very high chance that he knew the whole truth of her other life. Which worked for Chloe, it probably would make some things easier.

However, the silence grew to be too much for Oliver, as he shrugged before saying, "Well, I won't keep you." He figured that he'd say goodbye to Victor and take off. Safe to say that this wasn't the start he wanted, the reminder of Chloe right there, but he couldn't stay here either.

Seeing Oliver turn his back to her, Chloe stepped forward. "You know that I couldn't let you turn away from your company." Fortunately for Chloe, he stopped, moving his head to look at her again, so she tested another step. "It's... it's what allowed us to meet."

Glancing down, Oliver fired back calmly. "And what caused you to walk away. Or was it me?"

Chloe felt her expression fall as those words cut deep. Swallowing hard, she asked, "Come on Oliver, you know me better than that."

At one point, he thought he did. But now... Oliver wasn't sure how well he knew her at all. "Look Chloe, if this is what you want, then—"

"It's not," she harshly interjected, her confidence coming back. "It's what you _thought _I wanted."

The words sunk in for about a second before Oliver replied. "Your actions speak otherwise." If what Chloe said was true, she could have changed her mind, she could have come to him. But instead, they lived as strangers, trying to forget the other.

Except Chloe meant every single word. Sure, his skeptical attitude was expected, but that made Chloe grateful that she had grabbed her purse before going out to find Lois. "Well, then I guess I better give you this." Opening the clutch, it didn't take long to find the card she needed as she walked around him. It had been a while since she had stood so close to him and Chloe could feel her breathing increase. However, she met his eyes nonetheless and added, "Because _this _is what I want."

Glancing down at what Chloe was holding, he noticed how the California drivers license read her name, her _real _name. Taking it from her hands, he read it over twice, maybe three times to be sure. "When did you...?"

Chloe sighed, glad to hear that small speck of hope in his reaction. "This afternoon. With the right technology, anything is possible." It took some time to update and legitimize her old identification that Victor had somehow found, but having the real thing was worth the trouble, as was the urgency in making it.

Taking a step back, she felt her head shake in memory. "Oliver, I was so caught up in everything that... that I didn't know _what _I wanted. It looked like you were giving up on me and as much as I wanted to tell you it was misplaced, the truth was that I needed time and it didn't look like you were open to that suggestion." After she shrugged a shoulder, her eyes glanced up again. "So I left."

"I told you that I was willing to delay things." He knew he said something to that effect that night, but Chloe never seemed to clearly take that option.

However, that was because Chloe thought that option disappeared as their talk had escalated. "Initially, but you were acting like what you really wanted was a certainty. I could see it in your eyes and I knew I couldn't give it to you. I thought it was better that I walked away than tell you _maybe_." Grasping her hair in her fingers, damning the possible consequences to the 'do that Lois had given her, Chloe shut her eyes. "It's been a long month Oliver, one I'd really like to forget."

Oliver watched her take a few breaths, still with her eyes closed, so he took a careful step. "Chloe," he said, a small smile sneaking through, as he never saw this coming. "Chloe, you know that you can't go back once people know, right?"

She opened her eyes finally, but her eyes were still on the floor. Chloe wanted to look up, but part of her didn't want to know Oliver's reaction, in case it wasn't what she wanted. "I do."

But Oliver kept walking to her, stopping eventually to hold her card out towards her. "So this is it?"

Taking her identification back from him, Chloe nodded. "To get what you want, sometimes you have to sacrifice something, right?" As the clasp on her clutch closed, Chloe stared ahead. "I'm scared out of my mind for what's ahead, but I was reminded of something by our friends."

It was more than the words spoken to her during this time, it was the little actions they did throughout the day. Risks and chances were taken, but each day, the smiles on their faces were easy to see. It reminded Chloe of how she had this once, and she almost let it slip through her fingers.

"We have gone through so much, we fought through everything because of one simple concept." She grinned, remembering that first night where Oliver first told her he loved her. Her smile still in place, Chloe took Oliver's hand in hers, stroking his palm before looking up at him. "I don't care what they print or what they threaten against us. Because I know we'll get through it together."

Hearing her last sentence got Oliver's smile to widen even further, as it was everything that he needed to hear. Lifting his other hand to cover hers, Oliver had to ask, "What about your job?" This month had been hard enough, so he had to ensure Chloe would be okay with every facet of her choice.

"It'll be a transition for sure and a bit of a blindside for my boss," Chloe said with a little humour in her voice. "But if Lois can hack it, I see no reason why I can't." Shaking her head again, she knew Oliver believed that all along. "I just needed time to believe that I could."

"So let me get this straight," Oliver said, wrapping his arm around her back, pushing Chloe even closer to him. "If I would have given you time... we wouldn't have gone through all this mess?"

The question at this point felt rhetorical to Chloe, but she answered nonetheless. "Along with my unclear messaging... pretty much. Sounds pretty stupid, doesn't it?"

"Sounds like us actually," Oliver replied, watching as Chloe laughed in response, at how she leaned her head against his chest.

Standing there, Chloe felt herself warm around him, her fingers trailing down his jacket. Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "Any chance that you're willing to forget all this?"

Oliver leaned his head down to rest atop of hers, felt how she squeezed herself against him tighter as seconds ticked by. "I say that's a _very _good possibility."

Chloe took a small step back, peering up in his direction again. "I mean, you did mention something about starting again. Together." Her smile forming, she added, "I think I'm ready to make that change."

It didn't take long for Oliver to match her smile, followed by him cupping her cheeks, pulling her in for a kiss. It was short and sweet, but worth the second it lasted. "I love you."

"I know," Chloe replied, taking his hand again as she glanced towards the entryway. "I also know that we're late for your own event."

"You're coming?"

Chloe laughed. "What did you think the dress was for, Ollie?"

Oliver titled his head in acknowledgement, as that concept should have crossed his mind, but it never did. However, that didn't matter now, as what was important was that Chloe was back in his life. As they walked towards the door, Oliver knew things could only get better from here.

**~0~**

This was part of her decision, she knew that, but it was still nerve-wracking to be standing here now. This was far from her plans when she woke up this morning, but she couldn't go back on it now, as she had already been introduced to some board members. Some thought she didn't exist, a fair assumption considering her elusiveness, but Emily was here now, and the nerves she had, she had to push them aside.

"This your first time?"

His voice seemed familiar, so Emily looked to her left, noticing Hal Jordan standing next to her. "That obvious huh?"

"Here," Hal replied, handing her a glass of champagne. "It takes the edge off."

His charm was in full effect, and while Emily felt flattered by the offer, she held her hand up to stop him from passing it. "No thanks, Mr. Jordan."

Nodding, Hal set the other glass down, wondering how he knew this woman. "Have we met?"

Rolling her eyes, she realized that she should have introduced herself. "Indirectly," she said as she turned towards him. "I'm Emily, a friend of Cora's… I mean Chloe's." Well, the friend status was tentative right now, but saying Chloe's name in public felt better more than Emily wanted to admit.

Seeing the woman's resulting smile from the name mix-up, Hal felt like he was missing something. Then it hit him. "You're the barista friend," Hal remarked, able to piece that together as he remembered Cora pointing out how she had a friend named Emily. "Why did you call her Chloe?"

Emily was about to respond, more than willing to fill in the blanks, but Victor joined them, ready to introduce himself too. "Hal Jordan… nice to meet you in person."

"Hey, you must be Victor," Hal replied as he shook Victor's hand. Noticing how Victor looked back at Emily, Hal laughed under his breath. "And her boyfriend." It was probably best to take his leave from the couple now, so Hal bowed his head slightly. "Well, let me just say that I'm incredibly out of place here, but I appreciate the invite."

"No problem." Looking around the room, Victor was hoping to see the guests of honour soon, but he supposed that he shouldn't be surprised by their tardiness. "After all, you deserved to be here more than anyone."

Narrowing his eyes, Hal stopped his exit attempt, turning back to point between Emily and Victor. "You two are on the same page… feel like helping a guy out here?"

Emily glanced up at Victor, and once he nodded, she began to explain. "Do you remember Chloe Sullivan?" After the question, Emily spotted Chloe in the crowd, looking the happiest she had seen her in ages.

Hal looked over his shoulder when he noticed Emily staring, but he didn't see anyone. Turning back, he decided to answer Emily's question. "One of Ultraman's most high-profile hits, right? Explosion five or six years ago." Hal had never personally met the woman, but he knew about her ties to Oliver, what she had meant to him. "What about it?"

When she just shrugged, she hoped Hal would figure it out. Eventually, it did, as his mouth widened in disbelief. "That's why you corrected her name before. But if that's true than did I..." His voice trailed, not sure how what he did was possible, but both nodded their heads almost instantly. "Damn, I'm good."

Holding his arm out to point behind Hal, Victor said, "Meet Chloe Sullivan."

"Hi Hal," Chloe said quietly.

He turned around, still in shock over how she had completely fooled him... and how he had indirectly set this whole thing in motion. "Chloe," he said slowly, "I...I'm really happy for you."

That meant more to Chloe than she could possibly express. She thought back to the day when she met Hal, not knowing that something so small could have caused her life to fall back into place. "Thanks... and thank you for everything."

Hal just shrugged it off before scanning the crowd. "Okay, we need to catch up at some point, but I need to talk to Oliver first."

Unwrapping his arm from around Emily, Victor said, "I'll take you to him." Both men left silently, leaving Chloe to turn her head back to look at Emily.

She knew another reason the month had felt so long was because they were avoiding each other. In Emily's case, it was probably because she thought it was what Chloe wanted, but again, it appeared Chloe wasn't great at phrasing what she wanted. Even after everything, here Emily was, albeit standing uncomfortably, likely wondering what to say. So Chloe broke the silence, "I can't believe you're here."

Emily shook her head slightly. "Oh please, you think I was going to miss your debut?" There may have tension, but moments like this were too important to let it go to waste. Emily knew she had to be here tonight, no matter what. "Even if you are two hours late."

Chloe chuckled, happy to see Emily still had her sense of humour. "And you've been here for...?"

"Twenty minutes," she replied honestly, "but we left after you did." It was a half hour before Victor braved looking back in the apartment. It was silent, so he tiptoed inside, just in case. Eventually, he found the handwritten sticky note at the door, reading _Thanks _in Chloe's handwriting. It was attached to Chloe's old identification, the card Victor had initially given her, as well as the driver's license she used as Cora. That's when they knew everything was okay.

"We had some catching up to do," Chloe quickly replied. It started with Chloe showing Oliver her apartment, which was initially an innocent request, but it seemed that they couldn't avoid christening at least one item at her place. Feeling her cheeks warm, Chloe shook her head, not embarrassed of it, but she quickly heard Emily laugh in response.

She had missed her, more than she ever thought, so without a second thought, Chloe closed the distance, hugging her friend. "Em, I'm sorry."

Emily's eyes widened as she first felt the contact, but she returned the hug, grateful for the olive branch. "So am I, but you were right. It's time I figure my own stuff out."

"Well, this is a good start." Backing away, Chloe took in Emily's appearance, a rarity for a girl who rarely wore a skirt, let alone dresses. "But where'd you get the dress on short notice?"

"You weren't the only person your cousin bought a dress for." Emily laughed as she ran her fingers over the material, still figuring out how Lois knew to buy one in the first place. "She is uncanny for figuring out sizes."

"Actually, I had Victor's help with that," Lois interjected. Victor didn't take too long to cave regarding his relationship with Emily, so she figured it was only best to cover all of her bases, even if her boyfriend didn't think she'd show up.

Biting her lip before turning her head over her shoulder, Emily said, "I have to admit Lois... you did well... on both counts."

"You're welcome on both counts," Lois replied, keeping her smug grin in place. "You and I both know they wouldn't have lasted much longer without each other. But I'm all for giving that little necessary push."

"It's true. Lois is all about that 'little' push," Chloe added with air quotes, noticing how her cousin was about to slap her arm in response, but Chloe dodged it.

Not fazed in the slightest, Lois shrugged. "Well, someone had to do it...Emily was too loyal to you." After a sip of her champagne, she titled her head towards Emily, "You definitely found the right ally in this one."

Her head jarring back, Emily narrowed her eyes, unsure she heard Lois right. "Is that a compliment?" The whole time, no matter how short it was, Lois had been questioning Emily's tactics and decisions, so it was hard to believe that Lois had said those words.

"Absolutely," Lois said as she looked up to see Oliver approaching them. "And on that note... I think we better make ourselves scarce." She turned to Emily, who was already starting to walk away, as she had shared a smile with Oliver before turning around.

Feeling confused, Chloe was about to turn around, but she soon felt Oliver wrap his arms around her, leaning in to kiss her neck. "Hey," he whispered, the single word sending chills down her entire body.

She titled her head back to see Oliver better, repeating, "Hey," as their eyes met.

Watching as Chloe turned in his arms, Oliver asked, "Now that you're here, do you have any regrets?"

"One," she replied as she went up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "That I hesitated."

"It wouldn't be you if you didn't hesitate." Staring down at her, he moved a loose strand of hair out of her face. "But I'm glad you changed your mind."

Chloe nodded as she looked around, noticing the supportive faces of her friends, the relieved face of Clark Luthor, Tess' grateful expression. The rest may have been strangers in her life, but Chloe was determined to see this through. Looking back at Oliver, she shrugged, knowing that even if she did continue to fight it, she would still find her way back to him. Because more than anything, she knew, "This is where I belong."

**~End~**


End file.
